Fierceness returned to his brilliant best with a track-record performance in the GII Alysheba Stakes

The 2023 Champion 2-Year-Old kicked off his season in style with a powerful victory, stopping the clock in a blistering 1:40.60 and shattering the previous 1,700-meter track record at Churchill Downs

Brilliant champion Fierceness delivered a powerhouse performance / CHURCHILL DOWNS

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).- Returning to the track where he experienced the most disappointing moment of his campaign, champion Fierceness redeemed himself with authority and style this Friday at Churchill Downs, setting a new track record in his 1 1/2-length victory in the G2 Alysheba Stakes, presented by Sentient Jet and offering a purse of US$750,000.

With a perfect ride from John Velazquez and training from Todd Pletcher, the son of City of Light covered the 1,700 meters in 1:40.60, shattering the previous record of 1:41.40, set by Successful Dan (Successful Appeal) in 2012.

Velazquez and Pletcher teamed up for another victory in this race, having previously triumphed in the same event with Limehouse (Grand Slam, 2005) and Protonico (Giant's Causeway, 2015). This marked the fourth Alysheba win for the Puerto Rican jockey and the third for the trainer.

Fierceness, who had not raced since his runner-up finish behind Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), sat third early on, behind Most Wanted (Candy Ride) and This Is Uscar (Oscar Performance). On the final turn, he made a wide move, joined the leaders entering the stretch, and powered through to win decisively in the last 200 meters.

For Fierceness, bred in Kentucky and owned by Repole Stable, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor, it was his sixth win from 10 starts, five of them in graded stakes. This marked his first return to the track since his disappointing 15th-place finish as the favorite in the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1).

After the race, John Velazquez commented: "It was a perfect trip. I moved him wide on the turn, and in the stretch, he took the lead on his own." Meanwhile, Todd Pletcher added: "He’s a special horse... and what a way to show it with a track record! We’ll consider options, but the Met Mile (G1) is the priority right now."

The disappointment of the race came from the highly regarded Locked (Gun Runner), who had won the longer-distance Santa Anita Handicap (G1), but here, he broke poorly and, as has often been the case, came from far behind to finish fourth, 6 3/4 lengths behind the winner, his main rival.