As valuable and important as the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) may be, there should be a highly intriguing race-within-the race during the Nov. 2 showdown at Del Mar.
On Aug. 25, a day after Fierceness' dramatic victory by a diminishing head over the gallant filly Thorpedo Anna in another blockbuster edition of the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, the battle for the champion 3-year-old male had a tenuous leader who could be toppled depending on what happens down the road in America's richest race.
Based on the measuring stick of what have you done lately for me, Repole Stable's Fierceness leads the pack with his victory in the Aug. 24 Mid-Summer Derby and the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) before that, which put an end to his inconsistent, win-one-lose-one ways.
Yet based on graded stakes wins, Fierceness and Dornoch are even. Both have two grade 1 wins and a grade 2 victory this year. Fierceness owns a win for trainer Todd Pletcher in the Florida Derby (G1) to go along with his scores in the Travers and Jim Dandy, while Dornoch, trained by Danny Gargan, triumphed in a Triple Crown test, the Belmont Stakes (G1), along with the Haskell Stakes (G1) and also won the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).
A Classic victory would be game, set, and match for either of them, but a strong second or third in the mile-and-a-quarter test against older rivals could put one of them over the top with the Eclipse Award voters.
"Well, I am biased but I'd put him at the top of the class," Pletcher said Sunday morning about Fierceness. "I think the Classic will decide it. Voters tend to have short-term memories when it comes to awards and they put more emphasis on what happens in the fall as opposed to the spring. Yet in this division, no one has totally locked down leadership and the Classic will carry a ton of weight. There's probably a good argument that whoever places best among us will be the champ."
Pletcher said Fierceness, owner Mike Repole's homebred son of City of Light , came back fine from the race. Pletcher said most likely Fierceness will stay at Saratoga through September and do his final training at Keeneland before shipping to Del Mar the week of the Classic.
Gargan said Dornoch was flat after wins in the Belmont and Haskell. He came out of the race fine, but Gargan said he will train the son of Good Magic up to the Classic.
"He ran a little flat. He fought two hard races. We'll reboot and come back for the Breeders' Cup," Gargan said. "He needs a little time. We'll keep him up here. The weather will cool down and hopefully we can get him back up. He was fourth but didn't run badly. I'd love to be fourth in the Travers and win the Belmont every year. We're proud of him and what he has accomplished and happy to be a part of it."
Gargan echoed the importance of the Breeders' Cup Classic on the voting for the 3-year-old male champion.
"I think it's down to us and Fierceness and whoever beats who in the Breeders' Cup gets it," Gargan said. "It will be fun to watch."
Bred by Grandview Equine and a full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage , Dornoch is owned by West Paces Racing, R.A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing, and Pine Racing Stables.
Sierra Leone once again placed in a major 3-year-old test, finishing third in the Travers, winding up about two lengths behind Fierceness as a surprising 8-5 favorite after being pegged as the fourth choice in the morning line behind Dornoch, Fierceness, and Thorpedo Anna.
Trainer Chad Brown said the $2.3 million son of Gun Runner will probably train up to the Classic, where he could conceivably wind up winning the Eclipse Award in the final jump. A Classic victory would give him two grade 1 wins, the Classic and the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), and a grade 2 win in the Risen Star Stakes (G2), matching the totals of Fierceness and Dornoch. In addition, Sierra Leone was second in the Kentucky Derby and Jim Dandy and third in the Belmont and Travers. He has never finished worse than third while Dornoch has been unplaced three times this year and Fierceness was 15th in the Kentucky Derby.
"He has to win the Breeders' Cup Classic and then you can make a case for him," Brown said. "But Fierceness has come to form. He's run very fast numbers and is very good. He's been very well managed."
Brown said Sierra Leone ran a "solid" race in the Travers but was unable to reel in Fierceness and Thorpedo Anna who were closer to a moderate pace than his late-running colt.
"He ran another solid race and unfortunately came up short," Brown said. "The lack of pace didn't help him and Saratoga may not be his favorite track. Fierceness was a deserving winner, but for our horse I expected much more pace than (:48.10), but it is what it is when you have a closer like him who can be pace dependent."
Sierra Leone, bred by Debby Oxley, is owned by Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Rocket Ship Racing.
Trainer Ken McPeek reported that Thorpedo Anna came out of the Travers fine and the daughter of Fast Anna was on course for the Sept. 21 Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing.
"She ran super and we are very proud of her," he said. "A few changes here and there and maybe she gets up."
While the battle for the 3-year-old male crown is up for grabs, Thorpedo Anna has clinched the 3-year-old filly title and the three-time grade 1 winner would surely be a popular Horse of the Year choice if she closes out the year with wins in the Cotillion and Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).
"It's up to other people but she's aligned for all that," McPeek said about the Horse of the Year possibility. "Let's get through the next race first, but she's been amazing all season and yesterday was no exception."
Bred by Judy Hicks and bought for $40,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Sale, Thorpedo Anna is owned by Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Hicks, and McPeek's Magdalena Racing.
Jerkens winner Domestic Product may target BC Dirt Mile
Brown picked up a fifth grade 1 victory at the meet Saturday when Klaravich Stable's Domestic Product edged Prince of Monaco by a neck in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) at seven furlongs.
The four-time Eclipse Award winner said he is considering the two-turn Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) for the homebred son of Practical Joke , who has thrived since he was cutback to one turn.
"The (Breeders' Cup Sprint, G1) is too short for him," Brown said about the six-furlong Sprint. "If he gets a good pace, the Mile could work for him. Maybe it's the pace that matters more than the two turns."
Brown finished Saturday's card with 31 wins and with seven days left in the meet heading into Sunday's card has a commanding 10-race lead over Mike Maker and 11 over Todd Pletcher.
It would be Brown's fourth straight Spa title and seventh overall.
