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Fierceness dominates in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— Repole Stable’s homebred Fierceness turned in a sharp five-furlong breeze Saturday at Palm Beach Downs as he continues to work toward his 3-year-old debut in the $350,000 Holy Bull (G3) Feb. 3 at Gulfstream Park.
Expected to be named champion 2-year-old male of 2023 at the Eclipse Awards Jan. 25 in South Florida, Fierceness was timed in 59.48 seconds, the fastest of 12 horses at the distance. It was the sixth work for the City of Light colt since his dominant victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
“Fierceness has trained super. He’s such a terrific workhorse. He does everything effortlessly,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I think with Fierceness we feel like the quality’s there [and] the talent’s there. Like everyone else we just need to keep moving forward and stay healthy.”
Fierceness, whose sire won the 2019 Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream in his career finale, was a debut winner last summer at Saratoga before running seventh in the Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct. Undeterred by the effort, the connections pointed to the Breeders’ Cup where Fierceness rolled by 6 ¼ lengths at odds of 16-1.
If all continues to go to plan, Pletcher said Fierceness would use the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull as a springboard to the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) March 31, contested at 1 1/8 miles. Last year Repole and Pletcher campaigned 2022 champion 2-year-old Forte to wins in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby.
“So far it’s worked out really well. We didn’t have to let him down too much after the Breeders’ Cup [and] kept him ticking over with the Holy Bull in mind,” Pletcher said. “We kind of liked the spacing coming out of that to the Florida Derby and hopefully things continue on towards Kentucky.”
