Fierceness

The TDN Writers' Room, which is presented by Keeneland, took a different route this week, handicapping every Breeders' Cup race. How did we do? We'll know late Saturday evening. Here are the highlights of the picks made by Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss. FRIDAY: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: Predicting that Aidan O'Brien is going to have a huge Friday, Finley picked True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never), pointing out that the filly is coming off a Group I win in the Cheveley Park S. and looks to...

Godolphin's GI Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), looking to cap an historic sophomore campaign, drew post six and was promptly installed the 6-5 favorite for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. "No complaints about that," trainer Bill Mott told Brittney Eurton at the post position draw held Monday afternoon in the Del Mar paddock. "There is some speed inside and it gives him a good opportunity to see what is unfolding in the race." Since his win in the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty has added victories in the...

The Week In Review 1) Not only will this year's Breeders' Cup championships feature the 1-2-3 finishers from each of the 2024 and 2025 GI Kentucky Derbies, but the two champion 2-year-old males who each won the GI Juvenile in the past two seasons will also be in action. Sovereignty (Into Mischief), Journalism (Curlin) and Baeza (McKinzie) all finished within 1 ¾ lengths of each other in the Derby six months ago, and will all hook up in Saturday's GI Classic. Mystik Dan (Goldencents), 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun...

On both coasts, preparations for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic continued as leading contenders from the West took to the track, and hopefuls from the East began finalizing travel plans. Scheduled to walk Saturday morning after the trio put in Friday works at Saratoga, Todd Pletcher-trainee Antiquarian (Preservationist) will ship to Del Mar Sunday in advance of the World Championships along with stablemates Fierceness (City of Light) and Mindframe (Constitution). "I don't think [Antiquarian is] a particularly difficult horse to ride," said Pletcher. "I think he needs a strong rider....

With international sire star Justify leading the way, as well as four future stallions all set to run in next week's Breeders' Cup World Championships, Coolmore America's Ashford Stud released fees for the Central Kentucky farm's 2026 stallion roster Wednesday afternoon. Heading the roster is 2018 Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner Justify, who will stand for $200,000 next season. With his fourth crop racing now, Justify has 27 graded winners and 52 black-type winners, including U.S. and Australian champions, as well as British, Irish, and French highweights....

A total of 207 pre-entries from around the globe--including some 58 from overseas-based gallopers--was announced Wednesday afternoon for the 14 races comprising the 42nd running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic is the richest of the weekend's contests at $7 million and has attracted 11 pre-entries, headed by Godolphin's dual Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who will look to make the...

'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Fierceness (City of Light--Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty), the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 2023 and a four-time Grade I winner, will begin his stud career at Coolmore's Kentucky base at Ashford Stud following his final start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1. An imperious 11 1/4-length debut winner at Saratoga in August 2023, earning no-brainer 'Rising Star' in a similar fashion to owner Mike Repole's fellow champion and late Ashford stallion Uncle Mo, Fierceness romped by 6...

Approaching the threshold of the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, MGISW Journalism (Curlin) had his penultimate workout for the big race at Santa Anita Park on Friday, but according to a report in the Daily Racing Form that same day, the colt's regular rider Umberto Rispoli will be replaced by Jose Ortiz for the Classic. In all but one of Journalism's 10 career races (his maiden win at Del Mar in Nov. '24), Rispoli has ridden the son of Curlin. This includes three GI victories this year...

Facing plenty of racing dram this past weekend, trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed that GI Pacific Classic and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winners Fierceness (City of Light) and Antiquarian (Preservationist), respectively, came out of their races in good order and will train up to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. The Gold Cup was marred by an incident soon after the start, where Pletcher-trained Mindframe (Constitution) swerved, dropping Irad Ortiz Jr. and was ultimately collared by the outrider. "[Antiquarian] is doing excellent, very good," Pletcher said of the...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Early Sunday afternoon, Mike Repole wasn't sure if he had slept or not Saturday night. "I might have taken a nap from 2 (a.m.) to 4," Repole said in the Saratoga box seat area. "I am running high on adrenaline right now." Sixteen hours earlier, Repole, with 40 friends and family--including Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher--gathered at his Saratoga house and watched Fierceness (City of Light) overcome a world of trouble and still draw off to a 3 1/4-length win over GI Preakness Stakes winner...

Bi-coastal, 1 1/4-mile Grade I stakes over the weekend at Del Mar and Saratoga featured a number of contenders projected to target the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The obvious winner was continent-crossing jockey John Velazquez, who parlayed a win in Saturday's GI Pacific Classic into a score 16 hours later in Sunday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. Here's a look how the horses who were in action emerged from those efforts and where they stand heading into the championship race. Fierceness: For a colt who has a reputation for sometimes...

With multiple Grade I winner and second choice Mindframe (Constitution) wiped out at the break, it was Centennial Farms' longshot Antiquarian (Preservationist) holding favored Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) at bay late to win the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Sunday, earning an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November. Just a day after Fierceness (City of Light) overcame an adventurous beginning of his own making to win the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar, stablemate Mindframe was less lucky at Saratoga, catching the worst of...