Fierceness primed to lead Pletcher’s three-strong Classic challenge

Todd Pletcher is delighted with Fierceness as last year’s Breeder’ Cup Classic runner-up spearheads a three-strong assault from the Hall of Fame trainer on the $7million feature at Del Mar.

Mike Repole’s star performer, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita in 2023, will head off to stud after his third and final outing at the end-of-season championships and his team has geared his campaign around going one better than last year’s second to Sierra Leone.

The son of City Of Light started his four-year-old campaign with victory in the Alysheba Stakes and although beaten in both the Metropolitan Handicap and Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, he proved he is peaking at the right time by comfortably accounting for Preakness hero and reopposing Journalism in the Pacific Classic last time.

“Last year with Fierceness we thought there was one horse to beat but this time there are a lot of horses that have a genuine chance of winning,” said Pletcher, assessing his ace card’s Classic claims.

“On his first run this year he broke a track record that had survived for 150 years at Churchill Downs. It was a pretty big performance.

“So much was expected of him that I had to apologise when he was second in the Met Mile, while in the Whitney he got buzzed by a rabbit on the outside.

“He put it all behind him in the Pacific Classic though, and I’m delighted with him.”

Fierceness will be joined in the Classic by stablemates Mindframe and Antiquarian, with all three Pletcher hopefuls enjoying an early-morning workout in California on Monday.

Mindframe claimed the scalp of defending champion Sierra Leone on his penultimate start before suffering early interference and unshipping Irad Ortiz in the Jockey Club Stakes at Saratoga that was then won by the third Pletcher candidate, Antiquarian

“All my horses did the same gallop once round the track and everything went smoothly,” continued Pletcher.

“They arrived yesterday afternoon and will work a mile and a quarter or a mile and three (furlongs) tomorrow.

“It was a tough decision with Mindframe (to go for the Classic over the Mile) because we don’t know what we got out of the Jockey Club from a fitness perspective. Having lost his rider, that’s a hard one to be sure about. But I think he has enough tactical speed to put himself in a good stalking position.

“Antiquarian ran a fine race which was a career best in the Jockey Club (Gold Cup). If he repeats that level he has a good chance.

“The Classic is a super race on paper and while I respect the three-year-olds, I’m very hopeful of my horses.

“All three horses possess tactical speed but don’t need to be on the lead. There’s no pace setter, they are each running on their own merits.”

Charlie Hills’ Khaadem was the sole overseas raider to go onto the track on Monday, cantering round one lap of the turf course.

The Woodford winner proved a shade reluctant to go onto the track which is a trait. He did not have to go into quarantine, having shipped from Keeneland.