Tag: GI Curlin Florida Derby

Fierceness Comes Out Of Florida Derby In ‘Great’ Shape

'TDN Rising Star' and champion 2-year-old Fierceness (City of Light) exited his 13 1/2-length romp in Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby in “great” condition according to a social media post by owner Repole Stables. The post, accompanied by a photo of the colt with his winning flowers, reads: “Good morning from Fierceness. He came out of the race great. What a thrilling and epic performance! Happy and healthy Easter to all.”

With a leaderboard-topping 136 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Fierceness is bound for Louisville along with owner/breeder Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher.

“He's super,” Pletcher told Gulfstream media Sunday morning. “He came back really well. He cooled out really quickly and seemed to recover really well. He looked good this morning.”

Florida Derby runner up Catalytic (Catalina Cruiser) earned 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and will train towards a start at Churchill Downs as well.

“I think we're going to train towards it and see how the horse does,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “If he gives us the right signs, I think the horse will run.”

Fifth-place finisher and GIII Holy Bull S. winner Hades (Awesome Slew) also exited the race in good shape according to his trainer Joe Orseno.

“He came back sound and scoped clean. We're going to press on and see what happens,” Orseno said. “We'll see what happens in the races next weekend and decide what we're doing. We have 30 points, so I don't know if that will be enough.”

 

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Fierceness Likely to Return in GI Florida Derby

Champion Fierceness (City of Light) continued his preparations for a likely start in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 30 with a half-mile breeze Friday at Palm Beach Downs in company with fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road). The pair clocked in at :48.89, leaving conditioner Todd Pletcher satisfied with the progress he'd seen since the GIII Holy Bull S.

“Fierceness and Agate Road breezed a half together and both did really well, especially Fierceness. [He had] a strong gallop-out, looked good. He's continued to train really good since the Holy Bull,” Pletcher said.

He also added that, while Fierceness had also been training well up to his seasonal debut, the race dynamics may've done more against him than they'd initially thought. “[…] I don't think he needed a race. I think our expectations were so high for him that maybe we're not looking at it realistically. If you watch the start of the race, he got slammed pretty hard from both sides. Johnny [Velazquez], in order to execute the game plan, had to use him pretty hard to get to the first turn in the position we wanted to.”

“He could have been a little rusty off the layoff, even though he was training great. He was top weight. [There are] a lot of subtle excuses that, for an ordinary horse, you would try to justify it. In his case, he trained so well and we expected so much of him, sometimes you think he can overcome everything.”

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Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Winner Fierceness Works for Holy Bull

Repole Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), the favorite to be named champion 2-year-old male of 2023 following his dominant victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, remains on track to make his sophomore debut in the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 3 at Gulfstream Park.

He posted his second work of the new year Saturday at Palm Beach Downs, breezing five furlongs in 1:01.17 (8/12).

“He worked super this morning and everything is going according to plan, so far,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We're targeting the Holy Bull.”

He continued, “We like the little bit of space to the (GI Curlin) Florida Derby (Mar. 30), and we like the five weeks from the Florida Derby to Kentucky. We've still got a long way to go, but so far it's going according to plan.”

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Il Miracolo Finalizes Belmont Prep At Gulfstream

Alexandres LLC's Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) breezed five furlongs at Gulfstream Park Friday morning in preparation for a scheduled start in next Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes.

He was timed in 1:00.88, the fastest clocking of four recorded at the distance. The Antonio Sano trainee is coming off a front-running score at Gulfstream in an optional claiming allowance at a mile May 11 in his first start since finishing sixth to 'TDN Rising Star' Forte in the GI Curlin Florida Derby.

“The horse wants distance and is doing really good, so we'll try,” Sano said.

Marcos Meneses will have the return mount aboard Il Miracolo who is scheduled to ship to Belmont Park Saturday.

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