Lastly. After lacking by an exasperating nostril within the Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve, after ending third by a size and a half within the Belmont Stakes, after lacking by a size within the Jim Dandy Stakes Offered by Mohegan Solar, after settling for third by a size and three-quarters within the DraftKings Travers Stakes, Sierra Leone lastly arrived on time.
The colt that fell a flaring nostril brief on the primary Saturday in Could, that continued to be an train in frustration all through the lengthy, sizzling summer season, uttered the final phrase on a perplexing season by rallying to overhaul fellow 3-year-old Fierceness by 1 ½ lengths within the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic Saturday at Del Mar.
With Sierra Leone’s simple approach of going within the early levels of his races, coach Chad Brown and jockey Flavien Prat all the time knew the darkish bay son of Gun Runner wanted the correct tempo if he was to interrupt by means of. He acquired precisely what he wanted within the 1 ¼-mile Basic to claim himself within the race for the Eclipse Award as main 3-year-old male.
Japan’s Derma Sotogake, with Christophe Lemaire aboard, took the complete discipline of 14 by means of scorching early fractions, blazing the opening quarter of a mile in 22.43 seconds, the half-mile in a smoking 44.96 seconds and three-quarters of a mile in a crisp 1:09.44. Fierceness and John Velazquez, in the meantime, had been in sizzling pursuit.
Prat knew he was sitting fairly earlier than he requested his mount to kick into gear across the last flip.
“Clearly, the tempo was good and we discovered ourselves in a great place,” he mentioned. “I used to be in a position to keep outdoors and the entire approach round I felt I used to be gaining floor on the leaders.
When Prat requested Sierra Leone for his all, the sophomore unleashed an overwhelming transfer to surge previous Fierceness. Ceaselessly Younger, two noses in again of Derby victor Mystik Dan, might do no higher than third once more on Saturday.
Regardless of his flaws, Brown praised Sierra Leone for his consistency, his capacity to maintain on ticking whereas a rival reminiscent of Mystik Dan was despatched to the farm for much-needed relaxation and rest.
“For him to be on the Derby path since January and be within the winner’s circle in the present day towards a few of the high horses on the planet, actually the entire credit score goes to the horse,” Brown mentioned. “He’s a exceptional horse.”
For quite a few races, together with the heart-breaking Derby, this was a $2.3 million yearling buy that would not run straight. In a testomony to Brown and his employees, he does now.
“That’s two races in a row now that you simply’ve seen he runs good and straight,” Brown mentioned after his 19th Breeders’ Cup win. “That’s simply from persistence, horsemanship, a very good horse that’s cooperative, nice possession group. That is an unbelievable horse. Anybody might have educated him and he’d have a superb profession.
“For him to have this second and recover from all of the frustrations through the 12 months, races that I went into pondering, ‘I’m going to lastly win the Derby. I’m going to lastly win the Travers,’ and to stroll away unsaddling him with out the win, this actually makes up for it.”
Two-year-old champion Fierceness acquitted himself nicely in defeat, so nicely that he very a lot stays within the dialog for the Eclipse as main 3-year-old male. His trigger shall be harm by a 15th-place clunker within the Derby, however he rebounded from that debacle to comb the Jim Dandy and Travers, and his Basic was commendable.
“Fierceness ran nice. The fractions had been very quick,” mentioned Todd Pletcher, who trains Fierceness, the two.80-1 post-time favourite within the Basic. “I assumed he was very brave to maintain preventing for second.” Sierra Leone lined the mile and 1 / 4 in 2:00.78 because the 6.90-1 fourth betting selection.
The Basic featured a number of noteworthy failures. Turf big Metropolis of Troy, thought-about coach Aidan O’Brien’s finest hope to finish virtually two-and-a-half a long time of futility within the centerpiece of the Breeders’ Cup, did not safe his ordinary ahead place. He crossed the wire a non-threatening eighth.
“They went so arduous and he simply couldn’t get going,” jockey Ryan Moore mentioned of Metropolis of Troy.
The Japanese contingent of Ceaselessly Younger, Ushba Tesoro (10th) and exhausted Derma Sotogake (13th), thought to have a great opportunity of giving that nation a breakthrough rating, didn’t come near engaging in that.
Subsequent, often called racing’s marathon man for his success at longer distances towards lesser firm, might see all of them as he completed final of 14 runners.
Sierra Leone improved his report to 7: 3-2-2 throughout his 3-year-old marketing campaign, choosing up his second top-level win after the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes again in April. His profession earnings soared to $6,008,000.
“For him to redeem himself and shut out the 12 months as in all probability the most effective 3-year-old in a really deep division, I’d not be extra completely happy for this horse. He deserves it,” mentioned Brown, campaigning for all he’s price.
