Gulfstream Today 3.27.24: Fierceness ‘Perfect’ Schooling for Curlin Florida Derby

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Today

03.27.24

Fierceness ‘Perfect’ Schooling for Curlin Florida Derby

Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payout Slated for Sunday

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Repole Stable’s Fierceness, the 2023 2-year-old male champion who finished third in the Feb. 3 Holy Bull (G3), schooled in the paddock and walking ring Wednesday at Gulfstream Park in preparation for a return in Saturday’s $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa.

“Perfect. He came over and shipped in nicely and behaved himself very well,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We’re happy with everything he’s done, so hopefully everything continues to go smoothly.”

Things didn’t go so smoothly in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull, in which he experienced bumping between horses shortly after the start and was forced to race wide throughout the 1 1/16 miles. The son of City of Light was coming off a dazzling 6 ¼-length win in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita.

Fierceness has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile Curlin Florida Derby, in which he will make a bid to give Pletcher his record-extending eighth victory in Gulfstream’s showcase for 3-year-olds from Post 10. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has the return mount aboard Fierceness.

Iris’s Dream, who was entered in the Curlin Florida Derby after graduating by 7 ¼ lengths on turf at Gulfstream Feb. 29, schooled in the walking ring during the running of Race 3. The Florida-bred son of Jess’s Dream drew the far outside Post 11 for his stakes debut.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 Pool Estimated at $750,000

Thursday’s 20-cent Rainbow 6 pool is expected to grow to an estimated $750,000 at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved Wednesday for the 16th racing day following a March 3 mandatory payout.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 3-8, featuring the long awaited 2024 debut of Godolphin’s Knightsbridge in Race 6, a mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds. The Bill Mott-trained son of 2016 Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist captured his debut in spectacular style at Churchill Downs Nov. 4, overcoming traffic problems to draw off to win by 10 ½ lengths. Knightsbridge has been installed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite.

Race 6 drew a field of six including Sea Streak, third in the Mucho Macho Man, Cardinale, a debut winner here in November that finished 11th in the Risen Star (G2), and Speed Control, claimed out of a maiden last time out by Carlos David.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

A mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 pool is scheduled for Sunday, the final day of the 2023-2024 Championship Meet.

Who’s Hot: Leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. doubled aboard Power Attack ($9.80) in Race 3 and Steel Racer ($17) in Race 7.

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