Fierceness

Last updated

Fierceness
Sire City of Light
Grandsire Quality Road
DamNonna Belle
Damsire Stay Thirsty
Sexcolt
FoaledMarch 28, 2021 [1]
CountryUnited States
Color Bay
Breeder Repole Stables
Owner Repole Stables
Trainer Todd A. Pletcher
Record9: 5 - 1 - 1
Earnings US$3,856,350 [2]
Major wins
Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2023)
Florida Derby (2024)
Jim Dandy Stakes (2024)
Travers Stakes (2024)
Awards
American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse (2023)
Last updated on Novembeer 3, 2024

Fierceness (foaled March 28, 2021) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2023 the two-year-old colt won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park en route to being named champion juvenile of 2023. In 2024 he won the Grade I Florida Derby by a record 13+1⁄2 lengths [3] and later that year also the Travers Stakes.

Contents

Background

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 is trained by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Todd A. Pletcher. [2]

Career

2023: two-year-old season

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+1⁄4 lengths in a time 1:09.56. [6]

His connections then entered Fierceness in the Grade I Champagne 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+1⁄4 lengths 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 odds-on favorite Fierceness had to settle for third after locking strides with the leader Hades around the final turn. Although Fierceness tried despite racing wide throughout the race, Hades' swift turn of foot after the leisurely early splits was just too much for the champion to overcome. Fierceness finished third to Hades with Domestic Product second. The final time of the event was in 1:46.07. [11]

Fierceness next start was on March 30 in the Grade I Florida Derby. Fierceness 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 turned on another gear and blasted away to win by a record margin of thirteen-and-a-half lengths for the event in a brisk time of 1:48.22. Fierceness earned 100 points in qualification standings in the Road to the Kentucky Derby and enters the Kentucky Derby as one of the probable favorites. The win was the second straight for trainer Todd A. Pletcher and owner Repole Stable, who took last year's event with 2022 champion 2-year-old male in Forte. [12]

Statistics

DateDistanceRaceGradeTrackOddsFieldFinishWinning
Time		Winning
(Losing)
Margin		JockeyRef
2023 – Two-year-old season
Aug 25, 2023 Saratoga 1.10*811:09.56 Jose L. Ortiz [6]
Oct 7, 2023 Champagne Stakes Aqueduct 0.55*871:35.90 Jose L. Ortiz [7]
Nov 3, 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Santa Anita 911:41.90 John R. Velazquez [9]
2024 – Three-year-old season
Feb 3, 2024 Holy Bull Stakes Gulfstream Park 0.20*731:46.07 John R. Velazquez [13]
Mar 30, 2024 Florida Derby Gulfstream Park 1.10*911:48.22 John R. Velazquez [3]
May 4, 2024 Kentucky Derby Churchill Downs 3.21*20152:03.34 John R. Velazquez [14]
Jul 27, 2024 Jim Dandy Stakes Saratoga 1.80611:49.15 John R. Velazquez [15]
Aug 24, 2024 Travers Stakes Saratoga 3.90812:01.79 John R. Velazquez [16]
Nov 2, 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic Del Mar 2.80*1422:00.78 John R. Velazquez [17]

Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Fierceness was the post-time favorite.

    Pedigree

    Pedigree of Fierceness, bay colt, March 28, 2021 [1]
    Sire
    City of Light
    (2014)    		 Quality Road
    (2006)    		 Elusive Quality
    (1993)    		 Gone West (1984)
    Touch of Greatness (1986)
    Kobia
    (1995)    		 Strawberry Road (AUS) (1979)
    Winglet (1988)
    Paris Notion
    (1998)    		 Dehere
    (1991)    		 Deputy Minister (CAN) (1979)
    Sister Dot (1985)
    Fabulous Notion
    (1980)    		Somethingfabulous (1972)
    Careless Notion (1970)
    Dam
    Nonna Belle
    (2014)    		 Stay Thirsty
    (2008)    		 Bernardini
    (2003)    		 A.P. Indy (1989)
    Cara Rafaela (1993)
    Marozia
    (1994)    		 Storm Bird (1978)
    Make Change (1975)
    Nonna Mia
    (2007)    		 Empire Maker
    (2000)    		 Unbridled (1987)
    Toussaud (1989)
    Holy Bubbette
    (2000)    		 Holy Bull (1991)
    Juliac (1983) (family: 20) [18]

    Related Research Articles

    Flower Alley is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Winner of the Travers Stakes during his racing career, he is best known as the sire of 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner I'll Have Another.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">John R. Velazquez</span> Puerto Rican jockey (born 1971)

    John R. Velazquez is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both years was given the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. He was inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2012, rode his 5,000th winner in 2013, and became the leading money-earning jockey in the history of the sport in 2014.

    Brody's Cause is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He has won Grade I races at two and three years of age and was regarded as a contender for the 2016 Kentucky Derby. After finishing unplaced on his debut he won a maiden race and then took the Grade I Breeders' Futurity Stakes before finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. In 2016 he ran poorly in the Tampa Bay Derby before taking the Blue Grass Stakes.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Kentucky Derby</span> 143rd running of Kentucky Derby

    The 2017 Kentucky Derby was the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby, and took place on Saturday, May 6, 2017. The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held each year in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, at the end of the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. It is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km), and has been run at Churchill Downs racetrack since its inception in 1875.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Light (horse)</span> American racehorse

    City of Light is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and 2019 Pegasus World Cup in his final two starts. He also won the 2017 Malibu Stakes and 2018 Triple Bend Stakes and Oaklawn Handicap.

    Tiz the Law is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2020 Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes. He was the first New York-bred horse to win the Belmont since Forester in 1882. He also won the 2019 Champagne Stakes and 2020 Florida Derby, and came second in the 2020 Kentucky Derby.

    Luis Contreras is a Mexican thoroughbred jockey since 2006. After starting his career in Mexico, Contreras started competing in the United States and Canada during the late 2000s. For his graded stakes race career, Contreras has won forty Grade III races, twenty two Grade II races and four Grade I races. At the 2011 Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Contreras won the Queen's Plate, Prince of Wales Stakes, and Breeders' Stakes. He became the first jockey to use two horses to win the Canadian Triple Crown. In 2014, Contreras came short of another Canadian Triple Crown after finishing tenth at the Breeders' Stakes following wins at the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales.

    Hot Rod Charlie is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Pennsylvania Derby and Louisiana Derby. He also came second in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and 2021 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and fourth in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was voted the winner of the 2021 Secretariat Vox Populi Award.

    Corniche is a retired Champion American thoroughbred racehorse who, as a two-year-old, won the American Pharoah Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

    Life Is Good is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and 2022 Pegasus World Cup.

    Mo Donegal is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 2022 Belmont Stakes horse race. The horse is owned by Donegal Racing and Repole Stable.

    Nest is a Champion American thoroughbred racehorse who has won multiple Grade I events as a three-year-old in 2022, including the Ashland Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama Stakes. She also finished second in the 2022 Belmont Stakes, racing against male counterparts in that Triple Crown event.

    The 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 6. The field for the Derby was limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There were three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of races in North America, the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the European road consisting of seven races in England, Ireland and France. The top five finishers in the specified races received points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races in March and April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races acted as a tie breaker.

    Forte is a retired champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he won the Grade I Hopeful Stakes, Breeders' Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile en route to being named champion juvenile of 2022. At the age of three, he won the Florida Derby and Jim Dandy Stakes.

    Violence is a multiple graded stakes winning American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2012 Grade I CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park and Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct as a two-year-old. He was retired prematurely after sustaining an injury and entered into a stud career at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in 2014.

    Annapolis is a multiple Graded stakes turf winning Thoroughbred racehorse. His Grade I wins in 2022 include the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland and the Grade II Pilgrim Stakes as a two-year-old in 2021.

    Tapit Trice is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and Grade III Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs in 2023 as a three-year-old.

    Cross Traffic is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grade I Whitney Invitational Handicap at Belmont Park in 2013 as a four-year-old.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Just F Y I</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

    Just F Y I is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old filly, she won the Grade I Frizette Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park and was named the 2023 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.

    Timberlake is a multiple-Grade winning American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2023, as a two-year-old colt, he won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

    References

    1. 1 2 "Pedigree of Fierceness". Equineline. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
    2. 1 2 3 "Profile of Fierceness". Equibase. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
    3. 1 2 "2024 Florida Derby Stakes Grade 1 (race 14)". Equibase. March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 King, Byron (November 3, 2023). "Repole's Fierceness Puts Away a Deep Juvenile Field; Repole Stables' homebred Fierceness captures a deep Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1)". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
    5. ↑ Rollins, Molly (June 18, 2024). "Full Brother to Fierceness Makes Big A Debut". The Blood-Horse . Retrieved June 19, 2024.
    6. 1 2 "Chart for August 25, 2023 at Saratoga - race 6". www.equibase.com. August 25, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
    7. 1 2 "2023 Champagne Stakes (Grade 1 - race 8)". www.equibase.com. October 7, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
    8. ↑ "Pletcher Breezes Dozen Breeders' Cup Hopefuls". keeneland.com. October 19, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
    9. 1 2 "FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Grade 1 – (Race 8)". Equibase. November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
    10. ↑ Angst, Frank (January 25, 2024). "Given Another Shot, Fierceness Delivers a Championship Overwhelming Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) score lifts Fierceness to the title". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
    11. ↑ Rollins, Molly (February 3, 2024). "Hades Repels Champion Fierceness to Win Holy Bull In his stakes debut, Florida-bred Hades captures the Holy Bull Stakes (G3)". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
    12. ↑ McCarthy, Charlie (March 30, 2024). "Fierceness Dominates Florida Derby; Victory was reminiscent of his big win in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1)". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
    13. ↑ "2024 Holy Bull Stakes Stakes Grade 3 (race 12)". Equibase. February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
    14. ↑ "150th Kentucky Derby". Equibase. May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
    15. ↑ "Jim Dandy S. Presented by Mohegan Sun Grade 2 - (race 10)". Equibase. July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
    16. ↑ "Draftkings Travers Stakes Grade 1 - (race 13)". Equibase. August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
    17. ↑ "Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
    18. ↑ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - DAFFODIL'S DAM - Family 20". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.