Todd Pletcher's Fierceness is set to challenge City Of Troy in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. With both horses aiming for glory on the dirt track, a thrilling race awaits.
Todd Pletcher is eagerly looking forward to competing against City Of Troy with his standout colt, Fierceness, in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar this Saturday. As Aidan O'Brien's City Of Troy, the winner of the Derby, Eclipse, and Juddmonte International, makes his dirt debut in California, Fierceness has already proven himself as a strong competitor on this surface, having claimed victories in the Florida Derby and the Travers Stakes following his impressive performance in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year.
Pletcher, who enjoyed a Classic victory with Vino Rosso in 2019, has 'tremendous respect' for City Of Troy, the offspring of American Triple Crown winner Justify. Nevertheless, he is equally confident in Fierceness's abilities for Saturday's main event. 'I don't see the track as being an issue. He likes Santa Anita, which isn't too different, and I believe the main challenge we have is to work out a good trip for him,' Pletcher stated on Monday.
Describing Fierceness's demeanor, Pletcher mentioned, 'He's a very straightforward horse to work with; he's very laid back. While he can occasionally get excited in the paddock, aside from that, he's always been easy to handle.' Despite facing strong competition, Pletcher is confident that Fierceness has adjusted well to his environment, which bodes well for his performance.
Considering the challenges City Of Troy will encounter, Pletcher recognized, 'We have immense respect for City Of Troy and for Aidan's high esteem for the horse. However, we fully understand that this will be a completely different type of race than he has previously experienced, even though he's by Justify.'
Fierceness's season saw only one setback, occurring at the Kentucky Derby where he had a poor start and ran wide for the majority of the race. Reflecting on that day, Pletcher commented, 'He didn't get a good jump, and he was wide most of the way. Nothing went as planned.'
As both horses prepare to leave their mark in the Classic, the scene is set for an exhilarating showdown in Del Mar.
