Gulfstream: Fierceness Heads Gulfstream’s Breeders’ Cup Contingent

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Photo

Fierceness Heads Gulfstream’s Breeders’ Cup Contingent

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Repole Stable’s champion homebred and Curlin Florida Derby (G1) winner Fierceness and Merriebelle Stable and Resolute Racing’s Didia, winner of the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2), head a deep Gulfstream Park contingent at the 41st Breeders’ Cup World Championships Friday and Saturday at Del Mar.

From the barn of Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, leading trainer at Gulfstream’s premiere Championship Meet an unprecedented 18 consecutive years from 2004-21, Fierceness drew Post 9 in an overflow field of 15 for Saturday’s $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). By 2018 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and 2019 Pegasus World Cup (G1) winner City of Light, Fierceness has won five of eight career starts including a record 13 ½-length triumph in the Florida Derby March 30 and back-to-back scores in the Jim Dandy (G2) and Travers (G1).

Fierceness will attempt to become the fourth Florida Derby winner to find victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Proud Truth and Unbridled won the Classic as 3-year-olds while White Abarrio did so in his 4-year-old season.

Right next to Fierceness in Post 10 is Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable’s Pletcher-trained 4-year-old stablemate Tapit Trice, a $1.3 million son of Tapit that kicked off his sophomore season with an eight-length optional claiming allowance victory last February at Gulfstream and has gone on to register four graded-stakes wins including the 2023 Blue Grass (G1).

Also in the Classic is Glassman Racing’s Arthur’s Ride, who earned an automatic berth for his victory in the Whitney (G1), just his seventh start and first in a stakes. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 4-year-old Tapit colt returned from more than a year between starts to launch his 2024 season with a one-mile optional claiming allowance victory March 16 at Gulfstream.

The 6-year-old Didia, trained by Ignacio Correas IV, was a multiple Group 1 winner in her native Argentina before coming to the U.S. and reeling off four straight victories in the summer of 2022 and spring of 2023. She finished 10th in last year’s Filly & Mare Turf, beaten just 4 ½ lengths, but rebounded with a determined neck victory in the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Jan. 27 at Gulfstream as the narrow favorite. She has won once in four subsequent races, the June 7 New York (G1) at Saratoga.

The Filly & Mare Turf also features Gold Square’s Full Count Felicia, a winner of successive graded-stakes on the Woodbine turf for trainer Kevin Attard capped by the E.P. Taylor (G1) Sept. 14. The 5-year-old War Front mare was a popular winner of the one-mile Suwannee River (G3) last December during the first month of Gulfstream’s 2023-2024 Championship Meet.

Gulfstream’s three-time defending Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will run four horses on Saturday’s program. The first comes in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) with C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable and Ken Reimer’s Soul of an Angel, who earned an automatic berth by virtue of her 3 ¼-length triumph in the seven-furlong Princess Rooney (G3) Sept. 21 at Gulfstream, her most recent start. Also in the Filly & Mare Sprint is Test (G1) winner Ways and Means, runner-up as the favorite in the March 30 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2).

Joseph will send out the pair of Batacuda and Honor D Lady in the $2 million Distaff (G1). Morgan Joseph and Carrie Brogden’s Batacuda won the June 22 Power Break over Gulfstream’s all-weather Tapeta course and was most recently second in the Beldame (G2) at Aqueduct, while Final Furlong Farm and Madaket Stables’ Honor D Lady captured the Feb. 17 Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream. Distaff contender Miss New York is a multiple stakes winner for Gulfstream-based trainer Jorge Delgado that broke her maiden over her home track in November 2022.

In the $1 million Dirt Mile (G1) Joseph entered Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking. The multi-millionaire owns nine career wins, the first coming in a 2021 maiden event at Gulfstream, and six graded-stakes victories including Gulfstream’s 2022 Harlan’s Holiday (G3). Also in the Dirt Mile field are Tumbarumba, winner of the Fred Hooper (G3) on the Jan. 27 Pegasus undercard and second in both the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) and Ghostzapper (G3) 28 days apart in March, beaten a half-length combined; and Feb. 3 Holy Bull (G3) runner-up Domestic Product, last out winner of the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga.

Gulfstream-based trainer Jose D’Angelo has 3-year-old Bentornato entered in the $2 million Sprint (G1). Bentornato made his first five starts at Gulfstream, winning the 2023 Proud Man, FSS Dr. Fager and FSS Affirmed, and most recently won Parx’s Gallant Bob (G2). In the $1 million Turf Sprint (G1) D’Angelo entered Howard Wolowitz, a June 22 maiden winner on Gulfstream’s Tapeta that won the Sept. 7 Franklin-Simpson (G1) at Keeneland.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Carl Spackler, a 2023 Gulfstream maiden winner in his second career start; Chili Flag, winner of the March 2 Honey Fox (G3); and May 25 Mr. Steele winner Win for the Money are among a dozen horses entered in the $2 million Mile (G1). The $5 million Turf drew a field of 13 including Far Bridge, who opened his 4-year-old season with a March 31 optional claiming allowance victory at Gulfstream before notching back-to-back Grade 1 wins at Woodbine, and Grand Sonata, winner of Gulfstream’s 2022 Kitten’s Joy (G3).

Governor Sam, co-owned by Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, drew Post 10 in Friday’s $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1). Trained by George Weaver, the Improbable colt has reeled off four consecutive victories, the last three in stakes, since finishing sixth by three lengths in his career debut, Gulfstream’s May 11 Royal Palm Juvenile.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park – home of The California Crown and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland).

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