Fierceness figures to give owner/breeder Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher back-to-back 2-year-old male champions. That seems a logical turn of events after Fierceness won the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) by a highly decisive 6 1/4-length margin.
And while the son of City of Light will be wintering in Florida, just like the connections' 2022 juvenile champ, Forte , there could be a different route for him en route to the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Repole said Dec. 11 that he and Pletcher are leaning toward starting Fierceness' 3-year-old campaign in the Feb. 3 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park and then wait about two months for the colt's final pre-Derby start in either the March 30 Florida Derby (G1) or another 100-point prep for the Run for the Roses.
"It's early, but if all goes well, I think we're going to do something different and run in the Holy Bull, then maybe the Florida Derby and skip the Fountain Youth (G2)," Repole said. "That gives him eight weeks to his final prep and then five or four weeks before the Kentucky Derby. That's the route we're going to take rather than start in the Fountain of Youth."
Forte, who also won the Juvenile, started his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Fountain of Youth in early March and followed it with a win in the Florida Derby. He was scratched on the morning of the Kentucky Derby. Mage , who was fourth in the Fountain of Youth and second in the Florida Derby, captured the famed opening leg of the Triple Crown.
Fierceness is currently with Pletcher's string at Palm Beach Downs in Florida. He breezed three furlongs in :39.99 there Dec. 12.
Stablemate Locked, third in the Juvenile and winner of the Breeders' Futurity (G1) for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, went the same distance in :37.94.
Fierceness, a winner of two of three career starts, won his debut by 11 1/4 lengths at Saratoga Race Course but then finished seventh in the Champagne Stakes (G1) as a 1-2 favorite. He scored at 16-1 odds in the Juvenile.
"He's built way different than other horses I've had. He had one bad day. It just so happened to be in the Champagne. It's still a head-scratcher. But he's already run faster Ragozin numbers than Forte ever did," Repole said.
Fierceness was the individual favorite at 8-1 last month in the second round of future wagering on the May 4 Kentucky Derby.
He was bred by Repole out of the Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella. Both of those horses were owned by Repole and trained by Pletcher. Stay Thirsty earned more than $1.9 million and won the 2011 Travers Stakes (G1).
