Fierceness is a bay colt who was bred and owned by Mike Repole.[2] He was bred in Kentucky. Fierceness is the lone runner and winner of three foals of racing age out of the winning Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella. The dam also has a yearling full brother to Fierceness and a Caravaggio filly born in 2023.[4] Repole raced both Nonna Bella and Stay Thirsty and is a shareholder in Fierceness's sire City of Light, who stands next year at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky for $35,000.[4]
Fierceness' full-brother 'Mentee' of Mike Repole's stable, in his June 15 debut in the seventh race of a five-furlong maiden special weight at Aqueduct Racetrack was ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Todd Pletcher. He bested Colloquial by a nose in the track-record time of 56.97 seconds, standing since 1963.[5]
Fierceness made his debut on August 25 in a maiden special weight event over six furlongs at Saratoga. From post six in a field of ten, he was sent to the lead in the first quarter-mile. On the sealed, muddy track, he shook off his competition, extending his lead before being geared down by jockey Jose Ortiz to win by 11+1⁄4lengths in a time 1:09.56.[6]
His connections then entered Fierceness in the Grade IChampagne Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. On October 7 in a field of eight, Fierceness started as the 11-20 favorite.[7] At the start of the race, he lunged out of the gate, unbalancing jockey Jose Ortiz. He finished seventh behind winner Timberlake. A check-up after the race revealed nothing amiss with the colt, so trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole decided to consider the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The horse trained at Keeneland in company with stablemates and was shipped to Santa Anita Park for the Breeders' Cup on October 28.[8]
In a field of nine starters for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Fierceness was 16/1. A change of jockeys was made as John Velazquez took over, and Fierceness started well with him on the outside of leader General Partner, who had finished second in the Champagne Stakes in his previous start,[9] through fractions of :23.25, :47.02, and 1:10.86. Fierceness kicked into gear on the second turn and through the stretch. He opened up a two-length lead ahead of a rallying Muth an eighth of a mile before the finish and continued to extend the margin to a 6+1⁄4lengths victory in a fast time of 1:41.90.[4] "I don't think too many people would have run him other than Todd and I," Repole said. "And so we said, let's see how he trains and he's got to sell us on the idea of running, and he did come back with two really good works," Pletcher said. "So we took a shot, and today it worked out; a beautiful trip, and he showed what he's all about."[4]
Fierceness was named champion two-year-old male during an Eclipse Award ceremony in January 2024.[10] Fierceness will likely become the early favorite for the 2024 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. He earned 30 qualifying points toward the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby, leaving him in first place on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.[4]
2024: three-year-old season
On February 3, 2024, Fierceness began his three-year-old in the Grade III Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Starting as the 1/5 favorite, he settled for third after locking strides with the winner, Hades, around the final turn. The final time was 1:46.07.[11]
Fierceness’ next start was on March 30 in the Grade I Florida Derby. He started well, and jockey John Velazquez had him settled forward. Soon he was in front setting fractions of :24.06, :47.50, 1:11.31, and 1:35.63. In the stretch run, he pulled away to win by a record margin of thirteen-and-a-half lengths for the event in 1:48.22.
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