Photo:Eclipse Sportswire - composite
Grade 1 winners Fierceness, Sierra Leone and Seize the Greylook to return to the win column in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000Jim Dandy Stakes, a 11/8-mile main-track test for 3-year-olds at Saratoga.
The Jim Dandy will serve as the major local prep for $1.25million Travers (G1) on Aug. 24.
Repole Stable’s 2023 champion juvenile colt Fierceness last wasseen attending the pace before finishing a distant 15th as the beaten favoritein the Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Hall of FamerTodd Pletcher, the City of Light bay entered from a 13 1/2-length romp in the 11/8-mile Florida Derby (G1) in March at Gulfstream Park.
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“We are happy with him. We gave him plenty of time after theKentucky Derby, and I think it has done him well,” Pletcher said. “He has puton some weight and has trained really well.”
The Florida Derby performance earned a career- andfield-best 110 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form. That improvedon Fierceness’s previous best 105 for a 6 1/4-length victory over now multipleGrade 1 winner Muth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Santa Anita.Both wins came with Hall of Fame jockey John Velázquez.
Fierceness, who was scratched from Saturday’s Haskell (G1)at Monmouth Park in favor of this race, completed his final preparations with ahalf-mile breeze in 49.61 seconds Sunday over the Spa main track.
“We weren’t looking to do a whole lot. It was kind of afinal easy half-mile before the race,” Pletcher said. “I thought it wasexecuted very well. It looks like he’s in good order.”
A Kentucky homebred out of the winning Stay Thirsty mareNonna Bella, Fierceness won his debut by 11 1/4 lengths in August in his loneappearance at Saratoga. He boasts a lifetime record of 6: 3-0-1 with $1,703,850in earnings.
Fierceness, assigned 124 pounds, will exit the outermostpost 6 under Velázquez.
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will sendout Sierra Leone from post 1 carrying 124 pounds including Flavien Prat. He entersfrom a closing third in the 1 1/4-mile Belmont Stakes on June 8 at Saratoga.
The late-running Gun Runner dark bay traveled last of 10during the middle stages of the Belmont before showing his turn of foot. He wasunable to reel in the victorious Dornoch after drifting in and bumping withsome rivals.
Sierra Leone returned to the work tab June 23 on theOklahoma dirt training track at the Spa and has completed weekly half-milebreezes since. Sunday he covered the distance in 49.73 seconds working solo.
“He did super. He’s in a nice rhythm,” Brown said. “Hegalloped out with good energy. That’s just what I’m looking for six days out.Really solid and well within himself.”
Brown said Sierra Leone has developed into a good soloworkhorse after having worked in company before the Belmont.
“For right now at this point of his campaign, it’s workingfor him taking him out of company for a little bit,” Brown said. “He’s very fit,and I’m just looking to bring him to the race healthy and focused.”
In the Belmont defeat Sierra Leone matched his career-best99 Beyer that was earned when he was defeated by a nose by Mystik Dan in the KentuckyDerby. That was at the end of a battle with Forever Young in the stretch drive.
Although denied in his pair of Triple Crown efforts, SierraLeone successfully closed to win his first start this year when adding blinkersin the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star (G2) in February at Fair Grounds. He followed witha rallying score in the Blue Grass (G1) in April at Keeneland, also at Saturday’sdistance.
Brown is the leading trainer at the Spa summer meet with 10wins, including victories during the past week with Unmatched Wisdom in Friday’srestricted Curlin, with promising maiden Incentive Pay on Saturday and with RagingSea in the Shuvee (G2) on Sunday.
Brown said he wants some pace for his late-running charge tochase in the Jim Dandy.
“I’m hoping for a fair-run race where horses can win fromanywhere," Brown said before Raging Sea scored his stalking victory Sunday.“I had a horse win wire to wire in the Curlin. I had a baby win from off the pace(Saturday). I think the track has really come around and is playing a lot morefair for any type of horse a trainer may enter.”
The $2.3 million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select-yearling-salepurchase out of the Grade 1-winning Malibu Moon mare Heavenly Love, SierraLeone has earned a field-high $2,118,000 through a 6: 3-2-1 record. He iscampaigned by the Coolmore trio Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smithas well as Peter Brant, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook Smith.
To the delight of more than 2,500 shareholders, MyRacehorse’sSeize the Grey was a pacesetting, 2 1/4-length victor in the Preakness on May18 at Pimlico. Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, the Arrogate graysuccessfully stretched to 1 3/16 miles after taking the Pat Day Mile (G2) onMay 4 at Churchill Downs.
Seize the Grey showed the way once again last out in theBelmont before fading to seventh. In his other local effort, the $300,000Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select-yearling-sale purchase graduated at second askingwith a 1 3/4-length score over Dornoch in July 2023.
Seize the Grey, who was assigned post 2 and 124 poundsincluding Jaime Torres for Saturday, is out of the stakes-placed Smart Strikemare Smart Shopping, a half-sister to dual graded-stakes winner Power Brokerand stakes winner Fierce Boots. He has earned $1,839,938 from a record of 11: 4-0-3.
Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Batten Down, who got post 3with 120 pounds including Júnior Alvarado, 120 pounds, is the lone Jim Dandyentrant to enter off a graded victory. He earned it in the 1 1/8-mile OhioDerby (G3) on June 22 at Thistledown. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, theTapit gray set the pace and held off returning foe Gould’s Gold by 1 3/4lengths.
Batten Down won by 8 3/4 lengths to graduate fourth outgoing 1 1/4 miles against older rivals April 30 at Churchill. Both scoresearned career-best 93 Beyers.
“When you have a horse like that, you look at all theoptions and think of where you fit. We felt it was time to reach out and take achance in the Jim Dandy,” Mott said. “It is (a step up). With Sierra Leone, itmakes it a tough race.”
Out of the multiple Grade 1 winner and 2014 champion older mareClose Hatches, Batten Down is a full brother to the Mott-trained multiplegraded-stakes winner Tacitus, who was a close second to Tax in the 2019 JimDandy. He also is a full brother to multiple graded-stakes winner Scylla, whostill is active for Mott.
Gould’s Gold, in post 5 with 118 pounds including BrianHernandez Jr., enters from the Ohio Derby for conditioner Kenny McPeek. Ownedby 4 G Racing, Lance Gasaway and Magdalena Farm, the Goldencents gray also was secondin the Sir Barton on May 18 at Pimlico. He lost to Corporate Power, who exitedto run second to 3-for-3 Unmatched Wisdom in the Curlin on Friday at Saratoga.
McPeek said Gould’s Gold will have to improve to top thistalented field, but it is not out of the question after a sharp half-milebreeze in 47.60 seconds on Saturday over the Oklahoma training track.
“He’s certainly one of the better 3-year-olds, but he’s gotto find four or five lengths. We’re ambitious to try him, and we like the workhe’s been doing,” McPeek said. “We might as well try him, and then later in theseason we have the option to go back to allowance condition. But right nowthere’s that window of time to work through, if he’s next level. He trains likehe is.”
Gould’s Gold also has been the workmate of multiple Grade1-winning sophom*ore filly Thorpedo Anna, including a five-eighths breeze in1:01.55 over the Oklahoma track last Saturday.
Pony Express in post 4 with 118 pounds including JoelRosario for trainer John Sadler completes the field. Owned by Talla Racing,Three Chimneys Farm and West Point Thoroughbreds, Pony Express ships from SantaAnita off a nine-length victory traveling 1 1/16 miles June 15. The Gun Runnerchestnut out of the dual graded-stakes-winning Quiet American mare Quiet Temperwas making his third start, having sported blinkers in all.
The Jim Dandy will be the 10th of 12 races on Saturday’scard at Saratoga, and it is scheduled for 5:43 p.m. EDT. The first post is at12:35 p.m. The National Weather Service has forecast a sunny day with a highnear 86 degrees.
2024 Jim Dandy G2
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Sierra Leone Gun Runner | 7.90 | Chad C. Brown Flavien Prat | 3rd, 2024 Belmont Stakes G1 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 3rd, 2024 Belmont Stakes G1 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | |||||
| 2 |  | Seize The Grey Arrogate | 7.87 | D. Wayne Lukas Jaime Torres | 7th, 2024 Belmont Stakes G1 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 7th, 2024 Belmont Stakes G1 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | |||||
| 3 |  | Batten Down Tapit | 6.48 | William I. Mott Junior Alvarado | 1st, 2024 Ohio Derby G3 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, 2024 Ohio Derby G3 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | |||||
| 4 |  | Pony Express Gun Runner | 0.00 | John W. Sadler Joel Rosario | 1st, SA MSW (06/15/2024-R8) 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, SA MSW (06/15/2024-R8) 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | |||||
| 5 |  | Gould's Gold Goldencents | 6.27 | Kenneth G. McPeek Brian J. Hernandez, Jr. | 2nd, 2024 Ohio Derby G3 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 2nd, 2024 Ohio Derby G3 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | |||||
| 6 |  | Fierceness City of Light | 7.81 | Todd A. Pletcher John R. Velazquez | 15th, 2024 Kentucky Derby G1 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 15th, 2024 Kentucky Derby G1 2024 Jim Dandy G2 | |||||
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