'TDN Rising Star' FIERCENESS (c, 2, City of Light–Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty), off at a wildly overlaid 16-1 from a 6-1 morning line, went through his gears in the final furlong and a half to turn Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile into a one-horse affair, as he dusted his fellow previous Grade I-winning fellow 'Rising Stars' Muth (Good Magic) and Locked (Gun Runner) by a distance.
As brilliant as he was in winning his six-furlong debut by better than 11 lengths, good for a 95 Beyer, he was equally disappointing at 55 cents on the dollar when clearly failing to handle the slippery underfoot conditions behind 'Rising Star' Timberlake (Into Mischief) and General Partner (Speightstown) in the GI Champagne S. The gamblers were unforgiving as they gravitated to Locked, Muth and Timberlake, but Fierceness put himself right into the race with a clean dispatch from gate nine, pressing a modest early tempo outside of General Partner. Sidling up at the quarter pole, Fierceness exploded when John Velazquez went for him and pulled clear with each stride in a final time about 2 1/2 seconds faster than the Juvenile Fillies.
Velazquez was winning his 20th Breeders' Cup race and first Juvenile since guiding this owner's Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) back in 2010. Repole 'Rising Star' Forte (Violence) won last year's Juvenile for Todd Pletcher, who was celebrating a 15th Breeders' Cup success.
Fierceness captures the $2 Million @FanDuel #BreedersCup Juvenile pres. by @TBAftercare! Congrats to the connections on a thrilling #FutureStarsFriday victory! https://t.co/rQSmN1o5Kc
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 3, 2023
Friday, Santa Anita
FANDUEL BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE PRESENTED BY THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE-GI, $1,820,000, Santa Anita, 11-3, 2yo, c/g, 1 1/16m, 1:41.90, ft.
1–FIERCENESS, 122, c, 2, by City of Light
1st Dam: Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty
2nd Dam: Nonna Mia, by Empire Maker
3rd Dam: Holy Bubbette, by Holy Bull
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Repole Stable, Inc. (KY); T-Todd Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $1,040,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $1,102,750. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Muth, 122, c, 2, Good Magic–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo. ($190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $340,000.
3–Locked, 122, c, 2, Gun Runner–Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($425,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm; B-Rosa Colasanti (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $180,000.
Margins: 6 1/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 16.50, 2.70, 2.30.
Also Ran: Timberlake, Prince of Monaco, General Partner, Cuban Thunder (Ire), Wine Me Up, Noted. Scratched: Ecoro Neo, The Wine Steward.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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