Todd Pletcher has begun serving a 10-day suspension in New York after the long-running Forte case moved from the courtroom back into racing’s immediate calendar.
The Hall of Fame trainer’s suspension started on Thursday, June 18, following the New York State Gaming Commission matter tied to Forte’s post-race positive for meloxicam after the colt crossed the line first in the 2022 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga.
The development lands at a sensitive point in the American season, with Saratoga already central to the summer conversation after Golden Tempo strengthened his grip on the three-year-old division and the final Belmont Stakes meeting at the Spa having sharpened attention on New York racing.
Pletcher suspension begins after court ruling
The Appellate Division, Third Department, published its decision in Matter of Pletcher v New York State Gaming Commission on May 7. The decision confirmed the commission’s determination, which included a 10-day suspension and a $1,000 fine.
The court record states that Forte, trained by Pletcher, finished first in the eleventh race at Saratoga on September 5, 2022, before post-race blood and urine samples tested positive for meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
It also records that split-sample testing requested by Pletcher confirmed the presence of meloxicam in the samples. The commission’s case rested on New York’s rules around permitted NSAIDs and trainer responsibility, with the court finding the determination was supported by substantial evidence.
For readers who followed the 2026 Triple Crown closely, this is another New York-centred regulatory development arriving in the same month as the Belmont Stakes build-up at Saratoga.
Forte case still carrying legal heat
The suspension does not mean the wider dispute has lost its edge. Daily Racing Form reported that Pletcher’s attorney, Drew Mollica, said the case was “far from over”, with further motions still being pursued.
Thoroughbred Daily News also reported a strong reaction from Repole Stable, with owner Mike Repole sharply criticising the regulatory handling of the matter.
Forte was one of the defining American juveniles of 2022, and the Hopeful has long been one of Saratoga’s most important two-year-old races. That is why this case has remained more than a dry disciplinary entry. It touches a champion colt, one of the most recognisable trainers in the sport, a leading owner, and the wider question of how older state rulings sit alongside the national medication landscape now operating across American racing.
Pletcher’s record ensures any absence from the entries draws notice, but the bigger consequence is reputational and regulatory. The case has already travelled through years of hearings and appeals, and it now reaches the practical stage of a served suspension while legal arguments continue in the background.
For a sport that spent much of the spring locked on the Kentucky Derby result at Churchill Downs and then the Saratoga-hosted Belmont, this is a reminder that American racing’s biggest stories are not always settled at the wire.
