Coming off a record-breaking victory in the March 30 Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park, Fierceness breezed at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida April 19 in preparation for the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Two other Kentucky Derby prospects breezed elsewhere on Friday: Catalytic and West Saratoga.
Fierceness, last year's 2-year-old male champion, covered five furlongs in 1:00.50 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. The Repole Stable homebred colt worked in company with graded stakes winner Agate Road and left him behind down the stretch and in the gallop out.
(Workouts in South Florida are timed in hundredths of a second.)
"I thought he worked super—a solid five-eighths with a good gallop out, exactly what we were targeting," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. "I think he is doing every bit as good, if not better, than he was going into the Florida Derby."
Work of the Day from #PalmBeachDowns—Fierceness (Inside), 1:00.50, and Agate Road, 1:00.90, worked 5 Furlongs on April 19th, 2024, for trainer @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/dzJ7J4C8kR
— XBTV (@WatchXBTV) April 19, 2024
Plans for Fierceness beyond Friday's breeze are still indefinite, said Pletcher, who will continue to monitor weather conditions in Kentucky.
Fierceness provided Pletcher with his record eighth Florida Derby success while posting the largest winning margin—13 1/2 lengths—in the 73-year history of Gulfstream's Triple Crown prep, eclipsing Empire Maker's old record of 9 3/4 lengths set in 2003. Pletcher's Always Dreaming , the 2017 Florida Derby winner, went on to win the Kentucky Derby. The latter is one of two Derby winners for the Hall of Fame trainer, the other 2010 victor Super Saver, who prepped for the Derby with losing efforts in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and Arkansas Derby (G1).
Fierceness, who completed his championship juvenile season with a 6 1/4-length victory in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park, got off to a disappointing start for his 2024 campaign with a third-place finish behind Hades in the Feb. 3 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) as the 1-5 favorite. The Kentucky-bred colt, who had a troubled start and a wide trip in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull, rebounded in spectacular fashion, taking complete control at the start of the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby and cruising to a dominant victory.
Catalytic Breezes Five FurlongS at Gulfstream
Tami Bobo, Julie Davies, and George Isaacs' Catalytic, a distant second behind Fierceness while making only his third career start and stakes debut in the Florida Derby, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.72 at Gulfstream Park Friday morning. His rider urged him for speed before and after the finish line.
Work of the Day from @GulfstreamPark—Catalytic worked on 5 Furlongs in 1:00.72 on April 19th, 2024, for trainer @SaffieJosephJr. pic.twitter.com/VLrrRjIjrp
— XBTV (@WatchXBTV) April 19, 2024
"Everything went all right. I got him in a minute and four-fifths and the (six-furlong) gallop out in 1:14 and change," trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.
Catalytic entered the Florida Derby off a sharp debut victory at Gulfstream in October and a second-place finish in a March 8 allowance optional claimer at Tampa Bay Downs.
Weather permitting, Joseph plans to ship the son of Catalina Cruiser to Churchill Downs April 21 to prepare for the Derby.
"The key is to get there, and once you get there, anything can happen in the Derby," Joseph said.
West Saratoga Posts Six-Furlong Breeze at Keeneland
Seventy miles away from Churchill Downs at Keeneland, Harry Veruchi's Kentucky Derby prospect West Saratoga covered six furlongs in 1:16 1/5 over a wet-fast track Friday morning.
With jockey Jesus Castanon aboard, West Saratoga went slowly early before picking up his pace under encouragement. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:30 1/5.
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Trainer Larry Demeritte said West Saratoga would return to his stabling base at The Thoroughbred Center near Lexington Friday and stay there until vanning to Churchill Downs April 26. A three-furlong breeze is scheduled at Churchill Downs April 27.
Today's work was the second for West Saratoga, a Keeneland sales graduate, since he finished second in the March 23 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park.
West Saratoga is scheduled to be the first Kentucky Derby starter for Demeritte, who says the realization of the Run for the Roses has not sunk in yet.
"He still has to get there. We are preparing to win and everybody feels the same," Demeritte said. "Hey, I might be a first-time starter (in the Derby), but I'm not a rookie. I love being over there on Derby Day. I have been in a lot of Derbies—the Ohio Derby, Indiana Derby— but this is the ultimate Derby."
Castanon has had one Kentucky Derby mount: Shackleford in 2011. Shackleford finished fourth in the Derby after setting the pace, and two weeks later, Castanon and Shackleford won the Preakness Stakes (G1), the second leg of the Triple Crown.
"It's about never giving up and to keep trying," Castanon said of returning to the Derby scene 13 years after his initial run.
Castanon has ridden West Saratoga in his past two races, beginning with a third-place finish in the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 10.
"After the first time Jesus got on him, he told me, 'This guy is real.'" Demeritte said. "He flew up from Tampa to work him (at Turfway) and then flew back to ride races that afternoon. That's how professional he is."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
