Fierceness overcomes eventful trip, rolls in Pacific Classic

The scratch of morning-line favorite Nysos wasn’t the only dramatic development in Saturday’s $1.001 million Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. Fierceness added his own drama by ducking in sharply from his rail post, but the Todd Pletcher star regrouped to dominate odds-on favorite Journalism and punch his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) back here on Nov. 1.

Runner-up in last year’s Classic over this same track and 1 1/4-mile trip, Fierceness was rebounding from a fifth as the favorite in the Aug. 2 Whitney (G1) at Saratoga. Both losses came at the hands of Sierra Leone. 

While Fierceness could have stayed home to try Sierra Leone again in Sunday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), he shares connections with stablemate Mindframe, who was ticketed for the same “Win and You’re In” at the Spa. It made more sense to keep the dynamic duo apart until the Classic, so Fierceness carried the banner out west.

The champion two-year-old male of 2023, multiple Grade 1-winning sophomore of 2024, and Churchill Downs track record-setter in the May 2 Alysheba (G2), Fierceness brought a longer resume than sophomore Journalism. 

But Journalism had the cachet of performing well throughout the Triple Crown, displaying the consistency that Fierceness at times has lacked. The winner of the Preakness (G1) and Haskell (G1), and runner-up to division leader Sovereignty in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont (G1), also had home court advantage at Del Mar. 

Factor in his proficiency at the classic distance, along with the six-pound weight concession, and Journalism was hammered into 2-5 favoritism once Nysos was withdrawn with a bruised heel. Fierceness ranked as the 8-5 second choice in what was essentially a two-horse race, as the others were all double-digit longshots.

The rap on Fierceness has been his inability to adapt to less-than-perfect scenarios, especially at the start. When the gate opened in the Pacific Classic, he spied the gap to his inside, suddenly lurched leftward, and nearly collided with the rail. Fans might well have thought that he’d lost the race in the first 100 yards.

But under a Hall of Fame ride by John Velazquez, the champion regrouped and recovered his composure despite being buried behind horses early. Fierceness was nestled just a couple of lengths off the pace, traveling keenly and awaiting the signal. Journalism, as usual, took time to find his rhythm and anchored further back in last.

Through the first half-mile, Tarantino and Midnight Mammoth sparred through fast fractions of :22.99 and :45.84. Then Lure Him In put his head in front, passing six furlongs in 1:10.26. By that point, Midnight Mammoth had backpedaled out of contention, and a giant seam opened up between Lure Him In and Tarantino.

Velazquez saw the opportunity to strike. Fierceness accelerated into and through the breach in a dynamic maneuver. Opening up already through the mile in 1:35.70, the son of City of Light put the race away down the stretch.

Journalism launched his trademark circling move on the far turn, surging past the rest of the field, and locked on Fierceness as his target. But Fierceness was too far ahead, and Journalism could not get within range to threaten.

Fierceness rolled to a convincing 3 1/4-length victory in a final time of 2:01. The margin increased slightly once Journalism’s rider, Umberto Rispoli, eased up rather than punish the colt in a lost cause. 

“At the start, he (Fierceness) attempted to duck into the temporary railing,” Velazquez said. “I got him out of there, but he overreacted by pulling in the other direction. 

“I wanted to stay off his mouth, so I had to sit on him a little. But he got straightened out going into the first turn. I was able to save ground behind the leaders.  

“On the backstretch, he was keen to go on; that’s why I moved between horses going into the turn. I had to move as early as I did because he was so keen. Today I wanted to get him off the bridle a little and let him finish. I was very happy we got there.” 

“It had me a little bit worried there,” Pletcher’s assistant, Sophie Green, said of the start. “He’s had bad breaks before in the past…and I almost felt like that again, but Johnny knew what to do and kept him going. He had him in a great position.”

If Fierceness illustrated the depth of the East Coast older males, Journalism upheld the merit of Sovereignty’s form by pulling 6 1/2 lengths clear of third-placer Ultimate Gamble. Indispensable, Lure Him In, Midnight Mammoth, and Tarantino rounded out the order under the wire. 

Nysos missed his chance to test his stamina in the Pacific Classic. The Bob Baffert celebrity came down with an ill-timed bruise on a hind foot. 

“He was fine earlier,” Baffert told track publicity, “but when we double-checked on him, we found some bruising.”

The setback is reportedly minor, but Nysos has had a difficult time staying healthy in his stop-start career. He has other Breeders’ Cup options, principally the Dirt Mile (G1) or Sprint (G1), if he can bounce back quickly enough. 

Fierceness laid down a Classic marker here for his ownership consortium of Derrick Smith, breeder Repole Stable, Michael Tabor, and Mrs. John Magnier. If he can go one better this year, Fierceness would become the first Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner to add the Classic. 

The Kentucky-bred bay sports a mark of 13-7-2-1 with a bankroll to the tune of $5,155,320. His other major wins include last year’s Travers (G1) (over Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna), Jim Dandy (G2), and Florida Derby (G1) by a record 13 1/2-length margin at Gulfstream Park. Two starts back, Fierceness was second in the June 7 Metropolitan H. (G1) at Saratoga.

Fierceness is a full brother to Grade 3 winner and Aqueduct track record-setter Mentee. They are out of Nonna Bella, a daughter of Repole standard-bearers Stay Thirsty and Nonna Mia. 

Grade 1-placed Nonna Mia, who is also responsible for Grade 1 hero Outwork, is herself a three-quarter sister (by Empire Maker) to Grade 2-winning sire Cairo Prince (by Pioneerof the Nile).