Thanks to his win in the Travers Stakes (G1), Fierceness surged into the top five of the latest Longines World Best Racehorse rankings released Sept. 12.
The Todd Pletcher-trained colt edged Thorpedo Anna by a head to earn his third graded win of the year in the Aug. 24 race at Saratoga Race Course. He was previously ranked 10th in an eight-way tie with other United States-based runners Dornoch , National Treasure , and Senor Buscador . All three fell into a tie for 13th. Dornoch was a distant fourth in the Travers.
Meanwhile, a pair of American-bred runners who are based internationally stand atop the latest rankings.
Laurel River, who hasn't run since winning the March 30 Dubai World Cup (G1), holds on to the lead he's had in the rankings since April but that may change. With no starts planned for the immediate future for the 6-year-old Juddmonte homebred, an opening is present for a fast-charging challenger who was also bred in the States.
City of Troy, a 3-year-old Justify colt, has grabbed the racing world's attention with six wins from seven starts including three group 1 wins this year. He most recently won the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) in track-record time Aug. 21. That win moved him from third to second in the rankings where he gained four rating points (127) and sits one point behind Laurel River. Trainer Aidan O'Brien has his star pupil pointed toward the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.
The full ranking can be seen here.
