By Steve Sherack
DEL MAR, CA — Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), a painful second in the GI Kentucky Derby and a frustrating, beaten favorite in three subsequent efforts at Saratoga this summer, emulated his leading young sire with a victory on the biggest stage of them all in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.
The GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' took advantage of a lightning-fast pace up front, picked off his rivals with an eye-catching, sweeping move on the final turn and outbattled favored 'Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) to deliver a 1 1/2-length victory at odds of 6-1 in the $7-million centerpiece. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in third.
Sierra Leone, a $2.3-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale topper and future Coolmore stallion, is campaigned in partnership by the powerhouse line-up of Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook T. Smith.
“I am so proud and happy for the horse,” trainer Chad Brown said after saddling his 19th career winner at the World Championships and his first in the Classic. “He's come up short a few times and had some excuses. He's been so consistent and is such an honest horse. One of the best I've ever had. It's such a great ownership group. Everyone is just so patient. I thought we took a tough beat in the (Kentucky) Derby, but we did it with class and respect and went back to the drawing board and worked on getting him straight. My team deserves a lot of credit along the way for working with this horse.”
Brant added, “Yeah, this is a great day, a great day. Of course, Chad always loved this horse. He always had faith in him. He's a horse that I hope we see him run as a 4-year-old because he's the kind of horse we want to look at racing in these big races.”
Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) led the field of 14 through impossible early fractions of :22.43 and :44.96 with GI Travers Stakes winner Fierceness just waiting to pounce in second. Sierra Leone, meanwhile, was always traveling nicely beneath Flavien Prat near the back of the pack.
Fierceness took control on the far turn, but Sierra Leone, beaten by that rival in his last two starts, finishing second in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes and third in the Travers, was ready to turn the tables.
Sierra Leone had a full head of steam on the far outside as Fierceness turned them in. Fierceness battled on gamely down the stretch–don't forget how close he sat to that scorching early pace–but the long-striding Sierra Leone was just too much and edged clear late to get the money.
Prat, also aboard horse-of-a-lifetime Flightline in the 2022 Classic at Keeneland, was riding his sixth career winner at the Championships. He would pick up his seventh aboard Moira (Ghostzapper) in the Filly & Mare Turf one race later.
“Obviously the pace was good and we found ourselves in a good spot,” Prat said. “I was able to stay outside and the whole way around it felt like I was gaining ground on the leaders. Actually, I was a bit worried that I got there too soon, but once I got the lead, I asked him to make his move and that was it.”
The G1 Epsom Derby winner and 'Rising Star' City of Troy (Justify) never made any impact and was eighth as the 7-2 second choice. “They went so hard and he just couldn't get going,” jockey Ryan Moore said. “I let him get comfortable and he's done well to keep going to the line.”
Trainer Aidan O'Brien added, “He lost it at the start and obviously I didn't have him prepared to come out quick enough. He missed it and left Ryan with no chance really, the race was over at the start. He's been an incredible horse and it's so sporting of the lads to let us have a go at this race. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to have him and we'll look forward to having his foals.”
Pedigree Notes:
Sierra Leone becomes the second Breeders' Cup winner for leading young sire and 2017 Classic winner Gun Runner.
Gun Runner was also represented by the gone-to-soon 'Rising Star' Echo Zulu, who capped her unbeaten championship season with a memorable win in the 2021 Juvenile Fillies, also held at Del Mar.
Sierra Leone is one of 10 Grade I winners worldwide for Gun Runner. The Gun Runner x Malibu Moon cross is also responsible for GISW and 'Rising Star' Locked, who finished third as the favorite in last year's Juvenile.
Broodmare sire Malibu Moon is responsible for 11 top-level winners, including narrow Distaff runner-up Stellar Wind and F/M Sprint runner-up Bellafina.
The 9-year-old broodmare Heavenly Love, a homebred for Debby Oxley and winner of the GI Darley Alcibiades S., has also produced the unraced 2-year-old colt Domestic Policy (Nyquist) ($250,000 FTKOCT yearling purchase by Mike Ryan, agent) and a Gun Runner filly of this year. She was bred back to Nyquist.
This is also the same female family as Kentucky Derby and Classic third-place finisher Forever Young.
SIERRA LEONE STRIKES GOLD IN THE @BREEDERSCUP CLASSIC! #BC24 pic.twitter.com/RRoFL3p6Io
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 2, 2024
Saturday, Del Mar
LONGINES BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC-GI, $6,440,000, Del Mar, 11-2, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:00.78, ft.
1–SIERRA LEONE, 122, c, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Heavenly Love (GISW, $346,200),
by Malibu Moon
2nd Dam: Darling My Darling,
by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Roamin Rachel, by Mining
'TDN Rising Star'. ($2,300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Peter M.
Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith,
Westerberg and Brook T. Smith; B-Debby M. Oxley (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $3,640,000. Lifetime Record:
9-4-3-2, $6,008,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fierceness, 122, c, 3, City of Light–Nonna Bella, by Stay
Thirsty. 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Repole Stable, Inc. (KY); T-Todd
Pletcher. $1,190,000.
3–Forever Young (Jpn), 122, c, 3, Real Steel (Jpn)–Forever
Darling, by Congrats. (¥98,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHAYF). O-Susumu
Fujita; B-Northern Racing (JPN); T-Yoshito Yahagi. $630,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 6.90, 2.80, 4.10.
Also Ran: Newgate, Senor Buscador, Tapit Trice, Pyrenees, City of Troy, Highland Falls, Ushba Tesoro (Jpn), Mixto, Arthur's Ride, Derma Sotogake (Jpn), Next. Scratched: Rattle N Roll.
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