Champion Fierceness returns in Holy Bull

Jan 29, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Early Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Fierceness kicks off his sophomore campaign in Saturday’s $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Last season’s champion two-year-old will be heavily favored against less accomplished rivals in the 1 1/16-mile affair.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has said that Fierceness, who was last seen dominating the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), is right on schedule.

“Knock on wood. He’s done everything super this winter,” Pletcher told Gulfstream publicity. “We’re excited getting him going again.”

Fierceness looked like a potential superstar in his debut at Saratoga, when the Repole Stable homebred drew off by 11 lengths. That made him an odds-on favorite to follow up in the Champagne (G1), but a troubled start put him out of position, and he never recovered in a too-bad-to-be-true seventh.

Overlooked at 16-1 in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, the real Fierceness showed up in a 6 1/4-length rout that earned a gaudy 112 Brisnet Speed rating. He clinched the divisional championship, as officially announced at last week’s Eclipse Awards, and stamped himself as the leading contender for the 150th Kentucky Derby.

FIERCENESS is your 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion! 🏆

30 points on the Road to the #KyDerby! pic.twitter.com/QURR2bbUDv

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) November 3, 2023

Fierceness is expected to use the Holy Bull as his prep for the final scoring race at Gulfstream, the March 30 Florida Derby (G1), bypassing the March 2 Fountain of Youth (G2). He’s well drawn in post 7 in an eight-horse field on Saturday, with jockey John Velazquez back at the helm.

Only two of his opponents have competed in Derby points races – Dancing Groom, a distant third in the Champagne and sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), and Domestic Product, similarly beaten double digits when seventh in the Remsen (G2). Note that both are making high-percentage equipment changes for their trainers. Chad Brown takes the blinkers off Domestic Product, while Dancing Groom adds blinkers for Antonio Sano.

Arguably more interesting is Christophe Clement’s undefeated Otello, who rallied to win the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man S. around Gulfstream’s one-turn mile. By Hall of Famer and outstanding sire Curlin, Otello should enjoy the step up to two turns in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull.

Another unbeaten sophomore, Hades, takes a bigger class and distance hike. The Joe Orseno gelding has won both of his starts in Gulfstream sprints, overcoming trouble to get up in a 5 1/2-furlong dash before wiring a seven-furlong Florida-bred allowance by eight lengths. Hades is sure to show speed on the rail, but the question is how far he’ll carry it.

The remaining trio must move forward off losses to Otello in the Mucho Macho Man – third-placer Sea Streak, fourth Inveigled, and fifth No More Time. Much more had been expected of No More Time, who was coming off a resounding maiden win, but a rough trip in the Mucho Macho Man compromised his chances.

The Holy Bull, worth points on the 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five finishers, is the 12th and final race (post time of 5:48 p.m. ET) on Saturday’s card at Gulfstream. You can watch and wager at TwinSpires.com.