ELMONT, N.Y. ― Queens native Mike Repole won the Belmont Stakes last year as an owner of Mo Donegal, and as of Tuesday’s post position draw for Saturday’s 155th renewal he has the preferred in Forte.
“I oughtto be in a little bit muchbetter stateofmind today or a little bit more ecstatic – for me it’s frustrating,” Repole stated.
Like whatever in horse racing these days, it’s madecomplex.
Forte was the Kentucky Derby preferred however didn’t run
Repole was part of an sustaining image from the existing Triple Crown cycle, as he and fitnessinstructor Todd Pletcher pleaded with a vet at Churchill Downs not to scratch Forte, the Kentucky Derby preferred, on race day earlymorning due to a bruised foot. It came as 7 horse deaths at Churchill Downs in the week leading up to the race laser focused the public’s attention the sport’s security record.
More: Belmont Stakes 2023: Post positions, chances, analysis with Forte the 5/2 preferred
And that was simply days priorto it was exposed that Forte failed a post-race drug test after winning the Hopeful Stakes 8 months earlier en path to the Juvenile champion. Information on the pending drug favorable had not been openly shared, leading to restored calls for the market to enhance its openness. That case is presently being appealed.
Now Forte is setup as the 5/2 favorite breaking from the No. 6 post in the field of 9, havingactually missedouton the Preakness duetothefactthat being positioned on the Veterinarian’s List at Churchill Downs made him disqualified to run 2 weeks lateron.
More: Belmont Stakes 2023: Post positions, chances, analysis with Forte the 5/2 preferred
A rough trip for thoroughbred racing
Optics-wise, none of it’s been great over the past month. Including embattled fitnessinstructor Bob Baffert’s bittersweet Preakness win with National Treasure, 7/2 in the Belmont earlymorning line, after one of his students broke down in a race on the Preakness undercard and was euthanized.
Solutions haveactually been tough to come by over the years, although Repole feels some great can come from the production of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, the federal company now supervising concerns of security and drug screening for the market nationally.
But Repole, who