Fierceness delivered a decisive beating to Journalism in the Pacific Classic

The champion stamped his authority at Del Mar under a savvy John Velazquez; the colt, meanwhile, raced from far back, a strategy that proved ineffective

Fierceness was all class in dispatching Journalism / BENOIT PHOTO

DEL MAR, California (Special for Turf Diario).- Del Mar delivered a memorable afternoon on Saturday with the running of the Pacific Classic (G1), where the star of the show proved to be Fierceness. The Todd Pletcher trainee, representing Repole Stable, Smith, Tabor, and partners, traveled from New York to claim a decisive victory in the meeting’s marquee event, adding a key triumph en route to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), where he will look for revenge after finishing second last year.

The City of Light colt covered 1¼ miles in 2:01.00, pocketed $600,000, and boosted his career earnings to $5,155,320. It was his seventh win from 13 starts, and he returned $5.20 as the second betting choice in a compact field of just seven runners.

Fierceness’ path to victory was not entirely smooth. As the gates opened, the bay veered toward the outer rail, creating a moment of uncertainty. However, John Velázquez, with the composure of a Hall of Famer, quickly corrected him, settled in a good spot just off the leaders, and managed his pace before unleashing a powerful stretch run.

“At the break he wanted to lean toward the rail. I got him straightened out, but then he shifted a bit the other way,” Velázquez said. “I didn’t want to fight him; I let him settle. On the backstretch he was full of energy, so I moved him between horses to advance. I wanted him relaxed today so he could finish strongly. And that’s exactly what happened.”

“We were a bit nervous at the start because as a juvenile he had some bad breaks, and for a moment I thought it could happen again. But Johnny did everything perfectly, got him into position, and kept him in a great spot throughout.”

The race also marked Journalism (Curlin)’s first attempt against older horses, and the colt answered expectations, though with some disappointment. Representing Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, he went off as the heavy favorite (2/5) after standout wins in the Preakness (G1) and Haskell (G1). While he couldn’t match Fierceness, he ran a solid second, 3¼ lengths behind, and 6½ lengths clear of Ultimate Gamble (Medaglia d’Oro) in third.

The Curlin colt not only maintained his status as a top contender but also showed he can compete at the highest level in open company this fall. Still, the tactics employed by Umberto Rispoli, keeping him last for most of the trip and not rallying until too late, raised questions.

The Pacific Classic, which offered a direct berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic as part of the Win and You’re In program, lost some luster Saturday morning when Bob Baffert announced the scratch of his top contender, Nysos(Nyquist), due to a sore heel following shoeing.

Even so, the race did not disappoint, and Fierceness capitalized on the absence to reaffirm himself as one of the most dangerous horses on the U.S. racing scene.