Fierceness

The pari-mutuel field of "All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2021 Foal Crop" closed as the 6-5 favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, while GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness (City of Light) was the 8-1 second choice. Other horses who attracted mild interest from bettors: Breeders' Cup Juvenile third Locked (Gun Runner) (14-1); 10 1/4-length maiden winner Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) (18-1); 10 1/2-length debut winner Knightsbridge (Nyquist) (19-1); and maiden special weight winner and full-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Dornoch (Good Magic)...

The second Kentucky Derby Future Pool will be open Thursday through Sunday with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness (City of Light) the 15-1 individual betting favorite on the morning line. The pari-mutuel field of "All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings" from the 2021 foal crop not listed within the 38 individual betting interests was tabbed as the heavy 4-5 choice. The four-day pool opens at noon Thursday and closes at 6 p.m. Sunday and will run concurrently with the lone Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager. Horses from the 2021...

More than $100,000 was raised during this year's Breeders' Cup Pledge, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program announced Monday. That total was driven by four horses with pledge connections--Fierceness (City of Light), Unquestionable (FR) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) and Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn})--winning their races on Future Stars Friday and Championship Saturday. Additional pledges are still coming in as of Monday and final donations are being tallied. Now in its 14th year, the Pledge has raised more than a million dollars, with 100 percent of funds going...

All five of the 'Future Stars Friday' winners at Santa Anita appeared to emerge from the efforts unscathed, with connections looking forward to their Classics campaigns in 2024. The very domination of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) will likely have put the colt at the head of the class for champion 2-year-old honors, and the Repole Stable homebred looked good Saturday morning. "We were extremely happy with the way Fierceness ran," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "The race kind of unfolded the...

ARCADIA, CA - The comparisons to the brilliant Uncle Mo began for 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) following a spectacular, double-digit debut win a day before the GI Travers S. at Saratoga-Uncle Mo's, of course, took place on the undercard--but came to an abrupt halt following a dismal seventh at .55 cents on the dollar in a sloppy renewal of the GI Champagne S. They can safely return now. Just like Uncle Mo did for Repole Stable and Todd Pletcher at third asking beneath John Velazquez at the...

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out a total of 12 horses, all of whom are pre-entered in next weekend's Breeders' Cup races, for half-mile works at Keeneland Friday morning in advance of their Saturday departure to Santa Anita. GII Pilgrim S. winner Agate Road (Quality Road) (Juvenile Turf) worked in company with Haul (Army Mule) in :49 flat (32/63). GI Darley Alcibiades winner Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) (NetJets Juvenile Filles) went in company with GII Chandelier runner-up Scalable (Speightstown) (Juvenile Fillies) in :49.20 (37/63). About Candied, Pletcher said, "She worked very...

Trainer Todd Pletcher breezed a remarkable 12 of his intended Breeders' Cup starters at Keeneland on Thursday morning over the main track.  Heading the dozen was GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful Bright Future (Curlin), who arrived in Kentucky this week from Saratoga. He worked five furlongs in 1:01.40. Also working five furlongs for a possible Breeders' Cup start was Charge It (Tapit), who covered the distance in 1:01.20.  "We originally were going to work all of our Saturday (Nov. 4) horses tomorrow but with rain in the forecast for tomorrow,...

The parade of graded stakes races this Saturday is like a Christmas tree laden with presents. Towards the end of the celebration, as the wadded paper congregates, there will be a customary wistfulness that slowly sets in. We never want it to end. With 17, yes 17, graded races on the docket--nine of those have Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' status--it is going to be a splendid day to receive as Belmont at the Big A, Keeneland Race Course, Woodbine Racetrack, Gulfstream Park, Hastings Racecourse and Santa Anita Park...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. After working in company with his elder graded stakes-placed stablemate Slip Mahoney (Arrogate) in an Aug. 19 move for trainer Brad Cox over the Oklahoma training track, there was plenty of chatter behind Air of Defiance (c, 2, Quality Road--Faypien, by Ghostzapper) heading into his Saratoga debut. Despite proving no match for the jaw-dropping 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) across Union Ave. six days later,...

Named in honor of Mike Repole's beloved grandmother, Nonna Mia (Empire Maker) won her second career start by 12 lengths for Repole Stable in 2008 and she went on to place in the GI Frizette S. and GIII Tempted S. as a juvenile that year. The mare's first two foals Nonna's Boy (Distorted Humor) and eventual Grade I victor and sire Outwork (Uncle Mo) were both debut winners early in their 2-year-old years and her third foal Nonna Bella (Stay Thirsty) claimed her first two career starts at three. Last...

Mike Repole knows a thing or two about impressive Saratoga maiden winners. On the 28th of August, 2010, Repole and Todd Pletcher unleashed a son of Indian Charlie and Playa Maya (Arch) named Uncle Mo, who made a quote of 9-10 seem like a Travers Day gift when rolling home by better than 14 lengths in 1:09.21 to become a 'TDN Rising Star.' Fast forward some 4,742 days and second-generation Repole homebred Fierceness (c, 2, City of Light) put on a show of his own--one day  the marquee race of...