Winning Time: 1:48.51<br> Winning Margins: 1, 2, 2<br> Winning Payoff: $2.60<br> Fractions: :23.57, :46.71, 1:00.63, 1:36.35<br> Order of finish: Forte, Mage, Cyclone Mischief, Mr. Ripple, Fort Bragg, Il Miracolo, West Coast Cowboy, Jungfrau, Nautical Star, Mr. Peeks, Dubyuhnell, Shaq Diesel.

Trainer Todd Pletcher (Forte, 1st): “I was worried, he had a lot to do turning for home. He had to angle out really wide and kind of got a wide trip all the way around there, but he had a pretty smooth run it; he just had to lose a lot of ground to do it. It looked like he had a lot to do still at the eighth pole but then really kicked in the last part and found his best stride the last sixteenth.”

“He just continues to amaze us. He gets better and better. He handled the stretchout to a mile an eighth great and actually probably ran a mile and three-sixteenths today. It gives you a lot of confidence moving forward.”

“He got a lot of experience today. The one good thing about here is you get a big crowd, a noisy crowd, long post parade, so they get exposed to a lot. That experience hopefully pays off down the road.”

Record-extending seventh Derby victory – “It feels great. We’re very happy.”

Assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. (Mage, 2nd): “We expected a better break from the gate. That was key. It happened again; it can’t appen in a race like the Derby. Other than that, what else can you ask? Good thing is [jockey Luis] Saez didn’t panic, so he didn’t force him. He let him get his stride. He made a move and I thought he was getting home. He might have gotten tired but, remember, it’s still his third race. How many races did it take Forte to get to the level he is?”

Trainer Dale Romans (Cyclone Mischief, 3rd): “I thought he ran a beautiful race. I thought he put himself where he needed to be, I thought Javier [Castellano] rode him well. I think it’s on to Churchill. I thought today he looked like he handled [the distance] fine. The pace scenario might be a little different going [1 ¼ miles]. It might even be better for him.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Forte, 1st): “In the first part of the race with that post, it was impossible to going that wide so I had a horse with speed beside me. We went to the first turn and those horses cleared me and I said, ‘Oh my God.’ I thought he could clear them and he didn’t do it so I said, ‘OK, go to Plan B.’ I had to take a hold. Now I’m a little far back and I have to use him the whole way on the turn. On the backside I let him roll. I keep riding, I keep coming and going to the quarter pole he gave me a good feeling. He grabbed the bit and the outside horse moved and he gave me a good feeling and he’s ready to roll. He jumped on the bit and I said, ‘OK we can go around.’ The trainer told me to ride him with patience, it’s a long stretch going a mile an eighth so that’s what I did.”

Jockey Javier Castellano (Cyclone Mischief, 3rd): “He ran really good. I had a little bit of a wide trip but there’s nothing you can do with the nine hole. I couldn’t save any ground but I liked the way he did it. He fight all the way to the top of the stretch. I think he was just third-best today. He got a good foundation and hopefully it will pay off.”

Jockey Edgard Zayas (Mr. Ripple, 4th): “I think I had a perfect trip. I couldn’t ride it any better. It was all as planned. We sat the trip we wanted to sit. This horse is still trying to figure it out. He tries and then he quits and the comes back again. I think once he clicks on he’s going to be nice horse. I think he already is a nice horse. It was a big step up, for sure.”

Jockey Joel Rosario (Fort Bragg, 5th): “He didn’t break really well. He threw his head coming out of there but I got a good trip after that. I went on and it looked like I had everything my own way but he just got a little tired.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz (Dubyuhnell, 12th): “I was a little wide on the first turn but honestly my horse didn’t run today. No excuse.”