Fierceness

Fierceness was one of the stars of the summer 2023 meet at Saratoga Race Course, winning his debut by 11 ¼ lengths in a six-furlong race on a muddy track. The Repole Stable homebred next started in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes Oct. 7 at the Belmont at the Big A meet. He was a 0.55-1 favorite in the Champagne, which was held on a sloppy track going a one-turn mile, and lunged at the start before settling near the back. Fierceness never fired in a puzzling effort, finishing seventh by 20 ¼ lengths.

After the City of Light colt came out of the race in good order, trainer Todd Pletcher pointed Fierceness to the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park. Making his first start around two turns and on a fast main track, Fierceness responded with a blowout win under new jockey John Velazquez. He covered 1 1 /16 miles in 1:41.90 and gave his connections a second BC Juvenile win after Uncle Mo won for Repole, Pletcher, and Velazquez in 2010.

Based on that dominant victory, Fiercness was honored as champion juvenile male of 2023 by Eclipse Award voters.

On Feb. 3, 2024, Fierceness made his much anticipated 3-year-old debut in the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Sent off as the 1-5 favorite, he was bounced around at the start but recovered to stalk the pace racing three-wide in the backstretch. He ranged up to challenge leader Hades in the far turn, and dueled with that foe in early stretch, only to tire late and finish third. He earned six more qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, keeping him atop the leaderboard with 36 despite his disappointing effort.

After the Holy Bull, Fierceness kept up a regular workout schedule for Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs and bypassed the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes, targeting the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa for his final Kentucky Derby prep. He generated a lot of buzz among south Florida clockers for his exceptional training, and was sent off as the 11-10 favorite in the Florida Derby over Hades and highly regarded allowance winner Conquest Warrior. Fierceness broke cleanly from an outside post position in the 1 1/18-mile Florida Derby and effortlessly used his speed to secure a clear lead entering the far turn. While Holy Bull pacesetter Hades toiled behind horses after a slow start, Fierceness reeled off comfortable fractions through the first six furlongs and then separated from the rest of the field in the far turn. He coasted to a dominating 13 ½-length win while being geared down by John Velazquez and cemented himself as a favorite for Derby 150 with his second Grade 1 victory, good for 100 Derby points.

In the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve May 4 at Churchill Downs, Fierceness was sent off as the 3.21-1 favorite in a 20-horse field. He showed early speed to press the pace but faded back through the field and finished 15th.

Following that disappointing effort, owner Mike Repole and trainer Pletcher decided to give Fierceness a break, and the colt did not compete in the Belmont Stakes June 8 at Saratoga. Instead, he returned in the July 20 Jim Dandy Stakes Presented by Mohegan Sun at Saratoga, the local prep for the prestigious “Mid-Summer Derby,” the DraftKings Travers Stakes in late August. With regular rider Velazquez back aboard, Fiercness gained a prominent early position pressing the pace set by longshot Pony Express. He took command entering the homestretch and gamely held off challenges by first Ohio Derby winner Batten Down and then Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierra Leone to prevail by a length in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy and re-establish himself among the top rank of 3-year-olds heading into late summer.

Fierceness made his next start in the DraftKings Travers Stakes Aug. 24 at Saratoga, and he delivered a performance befitting a champion in the famed “Mid-Summer Derby.” He tracked the pace from fourth behind Batten Down, Dornoch, and Thorpedo Anna, took over near the top of the stretch, and then dug in resolutely to hold off a sustained rally from Thorpedo Anna and prevail by a head in 2:01.79 for 1 ¼ miles. He then closed out his 3-year-old season with a good runner-up finish behind Sierra Leone in the Nov. 3 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar.

Fierceness is out of the winning Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella, a full sister to Wood Memorial Stakes winner and sire Outwork. Multiple stakes winner and sire Cairo Prince is another notable relative.