After works, Sierra Leone, Fierceness likely to split

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sierra Leone and Fierceness, the one-two finishers from last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, both put in workouts Saturday morning at Saratoga, but it is increasingly likely they will not be facing each other here in the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Aug. 31.

Sierra Leone, the Whitney Stakes winner three weeks ago, worked a half-mile in 49.22 seconds over Saratoga’s main track punctuated by a strong gallop-out of 1:01.65, 1:14.55 and 1:27.76. Sierra Leone worked with fellow 4-year-old Tuscan Gold (third in the 2024 Louisiana Derby), pulling away from that horse on the gallop out.

Afterward, trainer Chad Brown confirmed Sierra Leone as a starter in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“He’s doing great,” said Brown, who had indicated after the Whitney that had all gone well in the interim the Gold Cup would be next.

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Brown also confirmed that Contrary Thinking, who was used in the Whitney to help ensure a pace, would also start in the Gold Cup. Contrary Thinking was scheduled to work at Belmont Park on Sunday, Brown said.

Meanwhile, Fierceness, the 2024 Travers Stakes winner who finished fifth in the Whitney, worked a half-mile in 47.40 seconds Saturday morning in Saratoga. He pulled away from his workmate Candytown late and went out very well. Fierceness is expected to make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar next Saturday.

Plans for Fierceness were expected to be finalized on Sunday after Mindframe has a workout at Saratoga. Provided Sunday’s work goes well, Mindframe will run in the Gold Cup and Fierceness will run in the Pacific Classic. Both Mindframe and Fierceness have Mike Repole as a primary owner and are both trained by Todd Pletcher.

“We were really happy with Fierceness’s breeze this morning, hopefully we’re just as happy with Mindframe tomorrow,” Pletcher said. “If everything stays the same and the flight schedules stay as they are we’re intending to go to the Pacific Classic.”

Pletcher said there are flights Tuesday and Wednesday and it’s just a matter of picking one.

Pletcher said running Fierceness in the Pacific Classic and Mindframe in the Jockey Club Gold Cup enables him to keep both separated while giving both the same amount of time to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

A Sierra Leone-Mindframe match-up in the Gold Cup would be a rematch of the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 28 at Churchill Downs where Mindframe beat Sierra Leone by one length for his third victory in as many starts this year.

Others pointing for the Jockey Club Gold Cup are Whitney second-through-fourth-place finishers Highland Falls, Disarm, and White Abarrio; and Grade 2 Suburban one-two finishers Phileas Fogg and Antiquarian. A potential new player emerged for the Jockey Club Gold Cup in Banishing, who won Friday night’s Charles Town Classic by 2 1/4 lengths. Afterward, trainer David Jacobson said he planned to ship the horse to Saratoga and enter him in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

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