Fierceness skips to victory in the 2024 renewal of the Florida Derby (Juliana Colombo/Past The Wire)
Churchill Downs Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Two powerhouses from the Todd Pletcher barn, Repole Stable’s Fierceness and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm’s Locked, headline a field of six entered for Friday’s 22nd running of the $750,000 Alysheba Presented by Sentient Jet (GII) for 4-year-olds and up going a mile and a sixteenth on the main track.
Fierceness, a three-time Grade I winner, will be making his 2025 debut after closing 2024 with a runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). Highlighting his 3-year-old campaign was a victory over Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in the Travers (GI).
John Velazquez has the mount from post 4.
Locked, an 8 ½-length winner of the Santa Anita Handicap (GI) in his most recent start, won the 2023 Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland before a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI). Off nearly a year, Locked returned with an allowance victory and a win in the Cigar Mile (GII) to close 2024 and opened this year with a runner-up finish in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (GI).
Jose Ortiz has the mount from post 2.
The field for the Alysheba (Race 6, post time 1:42 p.m.):
- Katonah (Antonio Fresu, Doug O’Neill)
- Locked (Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher)
- Hall of Fame (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen)
- Fierceness (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher)
- Most Wanted (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox)
- This Is Uscar (Edgar Morales, Jordan Blair)
