Hades upsets Holy Bull; Fierceness third

Feb 03, 2024 James Scully

Hades proved resolute on the front end in Saturday’s $260,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), recording a two-length upset win, and two-year-old champion Fierceness weakened to third at the 1-5 favorite. It proved to be quite the stunner in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series event at Gulfstream Park.

Awarding points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale toward a Kentucky Derby (G1) berth, the Fountain of Youth was expected to be a showcase for Fierceness. But the heavily favored colt broke in tangle from post 6 and was hustled wide into the first turn as Hades showed the way on a short lead from his inside post, establishing moderate early fractions in :25.03 and :50.53 while being pressed by several runners.

Fierceness traveled wide down the backstretch and forged his way to a head advantage midway on the far turn, but Hades had more left on the inside and drove to a short lead turning for home. Fierceness began to give way, as Hades surged clear in the short stretch, and the winner completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:46.07.

“He didn’t get off to a very good start,” Pletcher said of Fierceness. “The inside horse bumped him pretty good and then he got sandwiched and kind of had to shove him into the race and try to get the position we wanted, which we eventually did. But, he had to overcome a pretty rough start to get there. It seemed like he got into a good rhythm and straightened away for home and just kind of flattened out a little bit.”

Fierceness finished seventh after a rough trip in the Champagne (G1) last fall but rebounded with a scintillating 6 1/4-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

“Disappointed in the outcome,” Pletcher added. I think if you watch the replay of the start, it was a pretty rough start, kind of similar to what happened in the Champagne (G1). If he doesn’t get away well, he doesn’t get into the flow of the race the same way.”

Off at 9.20-1, Hades was ridden by Paco Lopez. Joe Orseno trains the Florida-bred son of Awesome Slew for D J Stable and Robert Coltran, and the bay gelding is now perfect from three starts, convincingly winning an optional maiden claimer and a restricted entry-level allowance at Gulfstream in December. The $130,000 two-year-old purchase stretched out to two turns for the first time in the Holy Bull.

Domestic Product, who was off at 14-1 following a seventh in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct, swung wide into the stretch and rallied past Fierceness to be second by 1 1/2 lengths. Fierceness held third by 3 1/2 lengths over Inveigled, and Dancing Groom, Otello, and Sea Streak completed the order of finish.