Repole Stable's Fierceness has been making it hard for Todd Pletcher to stick to plans to train the Travers Stakes (G1) winner up to the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
"He's doing so well you are tempted to run him before the Breeders' Cup," the Hall of Fame trainer said. "But we've stuck to our plan of training up to the Breeders' Cup. He ran those two really strong races at Saratoga back to back, four weeks apart, and we feel coming into the Breeders' Cup fresh is the way to go."
The champion 2-year-old male a year ago, Fierceness rebounded from a 15th-place finish as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1) with wins in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and the Aug. 24 Travers, both at Saratoga Race Course, where the son of City of Light is stabled and has breezed twice since the Travers.
"He's doing excellent," Pletcher said. "We'll breeze Thursday or Friday at Saratoga."
Fierceness will be joined in the $7 million Classic by Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Tapit Trice, his stablemate who recorded a three-quarter-length victory in the Woodward Stakes (G2) Sept. 28 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
"It was good to get him back on the winning track," Pletcher said about the 4-year-old son of Tapit who won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) last year. "Hopefully, it's on to Del Mar from here."
Pletcher said he will make a final decision on where to train his horses this month after this weekend's racing. He is leaning toward consolidating his Breeders' Cup hopefuls at Keeneland.
"It worked out well last year," he said. "We can get a few works in at Keeneland and we're closer to California. That's what I am leaning towards. We'll see how the Keeneland track looks and how our horses do over the weekend and then finalize plans."
On the West Coast, the Sept. 28 $1 million California Crown Stakes (G1) firmed up Breeders' Cup plans for two of trainer Bob Baffert's 4-year-olds. National Treasure , who was second by a head to Subsanador, will be heading to the Dirt Mile (G1). Newgate, who was third, a nose behind National Treasure in a dramatic finish, is bound for the 1 1/4-mile Classic.
"We were like an ice cream sandwich but the ice cream won," said SF Racing and Breeding's Tom Ryan, managing partner for the ownership group of both colts. "It was a great horse race and a great prep for the Breeders' Cup. Things have separated themselves now with National Treasure definitely in the Dirt Mile and Newgate definitely in the Classic, and you have to feel good about both horses in those spots."
National Treasure, a $5.5 million earner, was second by a nose to 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish in last year's Dirt Mile and earned a free "Win and You're In" spot in next month's Dirt Mile by winning the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) in June.
"He's lethal at a mile and he's shown up every time. He's run in the Breeders' Cup at 2, 3, and now 4, which is rare in the industry. He's always run with the best horses," Ryan said about the son of Quality Road .
Newgate, a son of Into Mischief who captured the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March, made his first start since March 30, when he was ninth in the Dubai World Cup (G1).
"It was a big ask for Newgate," Ryan said. "We knew he was facing serious opposition but he had to go around Muth on the final turn and only lost by a head and a nose. It's tough at the top in a grade 1."
Subsanador, a son of Fortify trained by Richard Mandella and owned by Wathnan Racing, earned a free spot in the Classic by taking the California Crown.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Skippylongstocking would head to the Breeders' Cup after finishing second as the Woodward favorite but was undecided on whether it would be in the Dirt Mile or Classic. The son of Exaggerator owned by Daniel Alonso was third in last year's Dirt Mile, but Joseph said if he's leaning in one direction it would be in favor of the Classic.
"He came out of the race fine. (Oct. 1) was his first day back on the track and it's on to the Breeders' Cup," Joseph said. "We're undecided but I'd say the Classic is the frontrunner. He got beat fair and square in the Woodward by Tapit Trice but I was pleased with the effort. He should get a fast pace in the Classic and can get a good trip just off it."
