The fields for the 14-race Breeders’ Cup World Championships become clearer throughout the summer and fall. In this regular post, you’ll get a brief profile of one of the previous weekend’s standout stars, usually a winner of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series, and find out whether I’m buying or selling their odds to win at Del Mar on November 1-2.

This week we take a closer look at DraftKings Travers Stakes winner Fierceness, who won a thrilling Mid-Summer Derby from Thorpedo Anna and will now train for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Achievements: It’s not often that a racehorse wins a top race and establishes himself as a top contender for an Eclipse Award, but still gets sidelined in post-race discussions. That’s exactly what happened with DraftKings Travers Stakes winner Fierceness, and I think it underestimates his achievement.

There is no doubt that Thorpedo Anna put in a valiant performance to finish second to Fierceness in the Mid-Summer Derby at Saratoga Race Course on August 24. And the mare deserves praise for her terrific performance in her first race against male horses.

However, Fierceness also put in a great performance in the Travers, proving he can run two consecutive monster races. And outstanding at 1 ¼ miles. With the 1 ¼-mile Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 2nd being Fierceness’ next stop, the Travers was an important test that cemented the City of Light stallion as a serious contender for victory at the World Championships. Before the Travers, it would have been difficult to say that with conviction.

Not only that, but Fierceness showed me something about tenacity. Thorpedo Anna, a rising star, charged purposefully towards him in the final furlong of the race and Fierceness fought valiantly to win by a head.

While the final furlong in :13.27 was not particularly fast, Fierceness took the lead in the race with a powerful quarter-mile in :24.34 and built a one-length lead after a mile in the Travers. He then extended that lead with a furlong in :12.47 under jockey John Velazquez and built a two-length lead near the eighth post to secure the win.

The story that every other race was a bust can now be put to rest, as Fierceness has won three of his last four races. Make no mistake, Fierceness is still a little inconsistent – busts in last year’s Champagne Stakes and the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve in May cannot be discounted – but it seems as though Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher may be figuring out what he needs to do with a talented but somewhat enigmatic colt.

Wins in the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby and the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes presented by Mohegan Sun capped off the Derby disappointment, and the experience Fierceness gained this year has made him a better racehorse.

“I think he’s shown his versatility now,” Pletcher said. “He was able to kind of sneak up on Jim Dandy and that gave Johnny the confidence that he could do it too and he was able to ride him accordingly in the Travers. I think it’s all just down to his experience and his continued physical and mental development.”

Speed ​​values: Speed ​​figures have never been a problem for Fierceness. When he runs well, the Mike Repole-bred stallion is a blisteringly fast racehorse – the fastest in the 3-year-old male category by a significant margin. He ran a career-best 110 Equibase Speed ​​Figure in the Travers and the Beyer Speed ​​Figure of 111 achieved in the Travers was a new peak, a touch better than the 110 he achieved in the Florida Derby. He will now have 10 weeks off before the Breeders’ Cup Classic, so further improvement is certainly possible.

Outlook: There’s not much on the agenda for Fierceness other than keeping him healthy and happy during the two and a half months leading up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic in just over two months.

“He ran so well in the Jim Dandy and had plenty of time between races, so I think we can probably get him ready to perform at his best,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said he will likely stay in Saratoga Springs through September, taking advantage of the cooler weather, before heading to Keeneland Race Course to make final preparations for the World Championship.

Fierceness doesn’t have to improve too much to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s elite when he puts his “A” race on the track, so his chances are primarily in the hands of Pletcher getting him in shape for a top performance on Nov. 2 at Del Mar. He’s one of the most likely winners of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, so this longtime Fierceness doubter is now buying stock and having to back down.