Repole Stable's Fierceness, last year's champion juvenile male, was made the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) March 30 at Gulfstream Park.
Fierceness, who'll be ridden by John Velazquez, received the 10 post position in the 11-horse field of 3-year-olds during a draw held between the third and fourth races March 23 at Gulfstream.
Winner of the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park by 6 1/4 lengths, the son of City of Light finished a troubled third as the 1-5 favorite in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Feb. 3 in his lone start this season. Todd Pletcher is hoping for a smoother trip Saturday.
"His Breeders' Cup Juvenile was so impressive. He trained so well leading up to the Holy Bull, that I think expectations were just so high for him and I think people lose sight a little bit of exactly what went on in the race," Pletcher said. "He got sandwiched pretty hard leaving the gate and then Johnny had to use him quite a bit to get to the position we wanted. I think because our expectations were so high, we just thought he could overcome anything. I think it was a legitimate excuse. The horse has come back and breezed really well."
Fierceness clocked a bullet half-mile in :47.43 at Palm Beach Downs Training Center in his fifth work since the Holy Bull.
"The horse gives you a lot of confidence watching him breeze," Pletcher said. "It seems like he's in really good form, so we're expecting a good performance from him."
Pletcher will be seeking a record eighth Florida Derby victory and Velazquez will be looking for a record sixth win in the race. The trainer captured the race last year with 2022 champion 2-year-old male Forte.
"Normally I'd be afraid of the outside post but Forte won from the 11 last year so you can overcome that. Everybody knows Gulfstream two-turn races are tricky and I think that's why the start is so important, getting away cleanly. I think what happens in a lot of these two-turn races is the jockeys are so conscious of having to get to the first turn in good position that it can get a little rough leaving the gate sometimes."
Repole Stable and Pletcher also have entered Bail Us Out, a 15-1 choice starting from post position 3 under Irad Ortiz Jr. The son of Lookin At Lucky won a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Feb. 3 in his only start of the year.
Courtlandt Farms' Conquest Warrior, also a son of City of Light and trained by Shug McGaughey, was made the second choice at 3-1. He'll start from post position 9 under Jose Ortiz.
D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran's Hades, who won the Holy Bull, is 7-2 from post position 2 with jockey Paco Lopez. The Joe Orseno-trained gelding by Awesome Slew is undefeated in three starts.
Orseno is confident that negotiating the 1 1/8 miles won't be an issue for Hades.
"I think he'll handle it. He's done everything I've asked him to do," Orseno said. "The last eighth, the last sixteenth, he finds another gear when he changes leads—and he takes off."
Frank DeLuca's Frankie's Empire, who finished third in the March 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) after winning the Swale Stakes, will start from the inside post position with rider Miguel Angel Vasquez. The 12-1 son of Classic Empire is trained by Michael Yates.
Emisael Jaramillo will ride Victor Barboza Jr.-trained Grand Mo the First, who lost by a neck while finishing third in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) March 9. The 15-1 son of Uncle Mo will start from post position 4.
The Florida Derby field is rounded out by longshots Real Macho, Le Dom Bro, Catalytic, Seminole Chief, and Iris's Dream.
The Florida Derby, which awards Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis, has produced 25 winners in the Run for the Roses.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 30, 2024, Race 14Entries: Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Frankie's Empire (KY) Miguel Angel Vasquez 122 Michael Yates 12/1 2 2Hades (FL) Paco Lopez 122 Joseph F. Orseno 7/2 3 3Bail Us Out (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Todd A. Pletcher 15/1 4 4Grand Mo the First (KY) Emisael Jaramillo 122 Victor Barboza, Jr. 15/1 5 5Real Macho (KY) Javier Castellano 122 Rohan Crichton 20/1 6 6Le Dom Bro (KY) Edwin Gonzalez 122 Eniel Cordero 15/1 7 7Catalytic (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 122 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 20/1 8 8Seminole Chief (FL) Joel Rosario 122 Jack Sisterson 30/1 9 9Conquest Warrior (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Claude R. McGaughey III 3/1 10 10Fierceness (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 8/5 11 11Iris's Dream (FL) Jorge Ruiz 122 Cheryl Winebaugh 30/1
