Life revolves across the correct timing, and timing was certainly the important thing issue within the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes Introduced by Mohegan Solar.
On a grand July 27 afternoon of racing at Saratoga Race Course, the pendulum swung again within the correct place for the 2023 2-year-old champion male, Fierceness.
Proprietor Mike Repole’s homebred son of Metropolis of Mild has been totally baffling with a irritating behavior of alternating sensible and weak performances.
On Saturday, after flopping and ending 15th as the favourite within the Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve, Fierceness was due for a gem and he certainly lived as much as these expectations in taking the Jim Dandy by a size over Sierra Leone in a wild stretch drive.
“I really feel so good for the horse,” coach Todd Pletcher stated. “I really feel he’s been underappreciated at occasions and he’s an excellent gifted horse. He’s had a few off days however when he exhibits up he’s very, superb.”
Operating off a 12-week relaxation Saturday, the timing was certainly excellent for Repole’s homebred Eclipse Award winner, but it surely may very well be problematic for a return begin 4 weeks from now within the enormous summer time showdown for 3-year-olds, the Aug. 24 DraftKings Travers Stakes on the Spa.
Pletcher stated after the race that operating again a month later within the Travers was not within the playing cards as they deliberate for the Jim Dandy. Earlier in the summertime, when Repole mentioned holding Fierceness out of the Belmont Stakes in favor of operating within the July 20 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, he talked about the timing between races and that Fierceness wouldn’t run within the Travers.
These plans have been modified to place stablemate Mindframe within the Haskell – the place he completed second – and run Fierceness within the Jim Dandy, the place there’s a shorter hole earlier than the Travers.
“We got here into this with the concept that he would in all probability not run again within the Travers. We’ll let the mud settle and see what occurs,” Pletcher stated. “It looks as if he wants a bit extra time between races. We’re not dedicated to something.”
No matter the place he runs subsequent, the Jim Dandy marked an improved effort for Fierceness whereas Sierra Leone, the $2.3 million yearling purchase, continued his exasperating stretch of second- and third-place finishes within the main 3-year-old races.
For Fierceness, the win confirmed a brand new dimension because it marked his first hard-fought victory. His three earlier wins had a margin of victory that ranged from a excessive of 13 ½ lengths to a low of 6 ¼ lengths.
Within the Jim Dandy, jockey John Velazquez saved Fierceness second behind the pace-setting longshot Pony Categorical after a half-mile in :47.44 earlier than shifting to the entrance on the high of the ultimate flip with Batten Down in closest pursuit and the late-running Sierra Leone ultimately shifting out of final along with his customary sturdy closing kick.
Already 4 extensive getting into the stretch, Fierceness, whereas clear, moved out just a few paths, forcing Batten Right down to shift inside, and that pushed Sierra Leone to the rail.
In mid-stretch, as Batten Down weakened, it was the race everybody anticipated within the Kentucky Derby, the place Fierceness and Sierra Leone have been the 2 favorites. In mid-stretch, Fierceness led Sierra Leone by 2 ½ lengths and whereas the margin shrank, Fierceness held on and crossed the wire in 1:49.15 because the 9-5 second selection.
“Tremendous happy,” Pletcher stated. “He form of received the journey we have been hoping for. We knew what our technique was, the factor is you don’t know what everybody else goes to do. It regarded like there have been a few different horses with potential pace, so we needed to break, get to the primary flip in good place and get in a superb rhythm, and that’s what we have been capable of do.”
Sierra Leone, owned by Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, Westerberg, and Rocket Ship Racing, was final within the subject of six after six furlongs in 1:11.27 earlier than he entered rivalry alongside the within. He added his Jim Dandy end to a 3rd within the Belmont Stakes and a runner-up effort by a nostril within the Kentucky Derby that adopted wins within the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and Risen Star Stakes.
“I believed he ran nice. I don’t have any excuses,” coach Chad Brown stated. “The monitor was taking part in particularly reasonable for his operating fashion. Fierceness got here again into kind and ran a terrific race. I believed he had each probability turning for dwelling to get him. Sure, we discovered ourselves on the within of him, however Fierceness actually discovered extra right this moment and ran an ideal race. I’m pleased with my horse’s efficiency. Sure, it’s a race he got here up simply brief once more, however he did fireplace and it regarded like he galloped out effectively.”
Brown stated the timing of the Travers ought to be effective for the son of Gun Runner.
“I’m wanting ahead to getting him again out to a mile and 1 / 4 within the Travers, if he’s wholesome,” Brown stated.
It was 5 lengths again to Juddmonte’s Ohio Derby winner Batten Down in third. Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Gray didn’t flash his typical early pace and completed fourth.
