There is something particularly inspiring about the return of outstanding runners to peak performance; a sense of confirmation of previous achievement as well as rising hope that there could be even more special feats ahead. Such is the case with both American Juvenile Champion Forte, who jumped back into action by trouncing his competition in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 4 March, and 2022 Dubai World Cup king Country Grammer, whose valiant rush to a close second in the Saudi Cup could catapult him to another gold trophy at Meydan.
At this point in time, Forte looks like the future of American racing, one of those colts who is so talented that it would not be a surprise if the now 3yo ascends to greatness one day, perhaps as soon as during this spring’s Triple Crown contests. Meanwhile, Country Grammer continues to knock on the door of rare supremacy.
Even if the 6yo is not the flashiest of runners, he is game and reliable, and with a second Dubai World Cup win, he would surpass Arrogate as the richest American-based racehorse in history with over $21.7 million. Forte also could be the future of Dubai World Cup history, while Country Grammer is very much the current moment.
Coincidentally, both prove that a top competitor doesn’t require a highly expensive commercial pedigree as each was most recently sold at auction for the moderate sum of $110,000. And each is obviously worth many times more than that amount now. Forte has won all but one of his six starts, with three of his victories notched at the Grade One level.
Other than his 5f debut at Belmont Park in May 2022, which he won by seven and three-quarter lengths, his Fountain of Youth over 1m½f was his most dominant win to date. Not only did the son of Violence, owned by Repole Stable and St Elias Stable, prevail by four and a half lengths, he did it in consummate style.
After rating patiently in fifth early under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr, Forte rallied four wide into the stretch and ‘seized command… and readily drew off while ridden out’, as the official race chart declared. “Everything I expected happened,” Ortiz said. “I just bided my time to go, decided to wait a little more. Then I went around horses and let him go and show what he can do.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher was not surprised either by Forte’s strong performance against eight rivals in his first start since his powerful Breeders’ Cup Juvenile triumph on 4 November. “I felt really, really good about the way this horse was coming into the race,” said Pletcher, who, like Ortiz, earned an Eclipse Award for his overall outstanding season in 2022.
“We kind of carefully laid it out and put him in a programme that would put him in the condition to be ready to run and still having room for improvement and room to continue to develop,” Pletcher added of Forte. “I think we were able to accomplish that.” A week prior to the Fountain of Youth, Country Grammer unleashed a visually dynamic display in Riyadh, even if the statuesque son of Tonalist did not reach the wire in time to defeat Japan’s front-running Panthalassa.
In fact, Country Grammer’s race was, in some respects, superior to his runner-up effort in the 2022 Saudi Cup, which proved the perfect springboard to Dubai. Last year, under Flavien Prat, he raced close to the early pace, then moved to the front while fending off Midnight Bourbon and just was caught in the final 50m by winner Emblem Road. This year, Country Grammer was far off the leaders as the field swung toward the finish line of the 1800m race. So far off, in fact, that jockey Frankie Dettori thought he might have no chance.
BAFFERT'S GRAMMER IS 'SUPER'
“At the top of the straight, I thought, ‘Oh God, I’m going to finish sixth,’ but he just has too much heart,” Dettori said, describing Country Grammer’s rocket burst that took him to within a half length of Panthalassa as “super.” “He wants a mile and a quarter,” Dettori observed, referring to the equivalent distance of the Dubai World Cup’s 2000m and perhaps foreshadowing the 25 March race as a repeat of Country Grammer’s victory in 2022. To date, only Godolphin’s Thunder Snow has won two Dubai World Cup trophies, capturing the prizes in 2018 and 2019.
There would be more history on the line with Country Grammer, as trainer Bob Baffert would be seeking a remarkable fifth gold whip in the Dubai World Cup; he already ranks second among trainers to Saeed bin Suroor, trainer of nine winners including the two wins by Thunder Snow. Dettori also is aiming at his fifth gold whip while currently tied for the lead in winners among jockeys with the retired Jerry Bailey. Three of Dettori’s winners were for Godolphin, with each of those trained by Suroor.
