Favorite Forte wins 2023 Florida Derby with dramatic charge at the wire

The 2023 Florida Derby had a heavy favorite on Saturday, and he came home after an early scare. Forte won the race and heads to the Kentucky Derby in strong form. He was 4/5 on the morning line odds and closed at 1/5 at DK Horse, so it was not surprising to see the horse claim the victory. He was followed by Mage and Cyclone Mischief at the finish.

Forte has effectively clinched his Derby spot with this performance. He came into Saturday’s race sitting in fourth place in the pre-Derby points standings. With the first-place finish, he now has 190 points and is in first place. Two Phil’s is in second with 123 points.

Forte will head to Churchill Downs as the likely favorite to win the race. He has been sitting at 3-1 ahead of this performance, and those odds are likely to improve with this dominant finish.

Mage claimed 40 points with the second-place finish and his 50 points moves him into a tie for ninth in the Kentucky Derby standings. Cyclone Mischief claimed 30 points and is now tied for 11th place with 45 points. Mr. Ripple earned 20 points and Fort Bragg earned ten points with fourth- and fifth-place finishes, respectively. Mr. Ripple is now tied for 23rd and Fort Bragg is tied for 35th.

Win: Forte
$2.60, $2.20, $2.10

Place: Mage
$3.40, $2.60

Show: Cyclone Mischief
$3.20

$1 Exacta: $3.90
$0.50 Tri: $6.95
$0.10 Super: $11.18

Watch the full race: