Ky. Derby: With Forte out, Irad Ortiz is on Cyclone Mischief

With the scratch of the favorite Forte, champion jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride long shot Cyclone Mischief on Saturday in Kentucky Derby 2023.

Trainer Dale Romans and Ortiz’s agent Steve Rushing both confirmed the move in text messages and a telephone interview with Horse Racing Nation.

“For everyone involved (with Forte) I didn’t want to see it happen that way,” Romans said, “but I’m definitely glad to have him.”

Romans said he purposely waited as long as he could to name a rider for Saturday’s race, because he wanted to make sure the dust had settled in case someone of Ortiz’s caliber became available.

“I didn’t have to be in a hurry, and that’s why we played it the way we did just in case something like this happened,” Romans said, adding that he felt for Forte’s lead owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher, especially because they also had to scratch second morning-line choice Uncle Mo on the eve of the 2011 Derby. “Mike has put so much money into the game, and for Todd to have two favorites in one career scratch from the Derby, I feel bad for all of them. But I’m glad we were able to get (Ortiz), and he’s still riding in the race.”

Ortiz has had six previous rides in the Derby, never hitting the board. His best finish was a promotion from fifth to fourth in 2019 on Improbable, the only post-time favorite he has had in the classic.

Romans will be in his 11th Derby, but he never has had a horse start with odds shorter than 12-1. Those were the odds Paddy O’Prado carried to Romans’s career-best third-place finish in the race in 2010.

Cyclone Mischief was an also-eligible entrant who drew into the main field because of the five scratches since Thursday. He is an allowance winner who finished third in both the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1). Forte won both of those races. Saturday at 10 a.m. EDT he carried odds of 10-1 in the Derby win pool.

Since Forte is a closer, Romans said his absence would not alter the pace projection for the Derby.

“It won’t change anything,” he said, “other than the fact he won’t be running us down in the lane like he did in Florida.”

Albaugh Family Stables, the lead owner of Cyclone Mischief, also has Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Angel of Empire in the Derby field.