While specific comeback races have yet to be decided, owner Mike Repole has a few primary targets in mind for his two stars, who are about to turn age 4 on Jan. 1.
Repole bred and owns Eclipse Award winner Fierceness and is the co-owner with Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Stable of multiple grade 1-placed Mindframe, both trained by Todd Pletcher.
Regarding Fierceness, Repole said the son of City of Light will be pointed to the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) June 7 at Saratoga Race Course as well as the Whitney Stakes (G1) there in August, and a return trip to Del Mar for the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), a race in which he finished second in his most recent start.
"My three goals for Fierceness are no secret," Repole said, referring to the Met Mile, Whitney, and Classic. "You can put in two or three more races but those three are the targets."
Repole projected Fierceness would have one or two preps in April or May before the Met Mile. The colt underwent hind ankle surgery in the weeks following the Breeders' Cup. Repole also said he would be open to running Fierceness in a grass stakes during his final year of racing before becoming a stallion at Ashford Stud.
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"If I have an opportunity and Todd doesn't vote it down, I'd like to run Fierceness in a mile turf race," Repole said. "I think he's that good and that talented that he could be a grade 1 turf winner."
Mindframe, who has not raced since finishing second in the Haskell Stakes (G1) July 20, looms a candidate for the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) April 5 at Meydan Racecourse.
"He'll have a prep and the first big race could be the Dubai World Cup. If Sheikh Mohammed (bin Rashid Al Maktoum) will send me a plane, I would like to bring me, Todd, and Mindframe to Dubai. Sending me a plane would be very nice," Repole said.
Mindframe, a Maryland-bred son of Constitution , has raced only four times for Repole and St. Elias Stables, but has runner-up finishes in both the Haskell and Belmont Stakes (G1).
"He's grown up. He's filled out. He looks amazing. He could be the best 4-year-old out there. He's already run some ridiculous speed figures, and he's only going to get bigger and better," Repole said. "You would want to win the Whitney and/or Classic with Mindframe, but for the rest of the year we can keep him and Fierceness separated."
Mindframe breezed three furlongs in :38.89 Dec. 27 at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida.
The self-appointed commissioner of the National Thoroughbred Alliance advocacy group, Repole said Mindframe would not be entered in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park unless he turns in a series of spectacular works in the coming weeks.
Repole listed Crupi as a probable starter in the Pegasus World Cup. Crupi, who turns 5 on Jan. 1, is owned by Repole and Viola and is a grade 2 winner who is also grade 1-placed.
