Fierce and Strong headed back to statebred company off Wolf Hill win

After winning the $100,000 Wolf Hill at Monmouth Park last weekend, trainer Michael Salvaggio Jr. said that 5-year-old gelding Fierce and Strong will make his next start against statebred rivals in the $75,000 Marshall Jenney Stakes at Penn National on Aug. 15.

“I always thought he was going to be a better route horse, but I’m not so sure now,” Salvaggio said. “It almost looks like he might be a better sprinter, so for right now, we’re probably looking to keep him sprinting.”

When the Wolf Hill came up stronger than he expected, Salvaggio considered scratching Fierce and Strong in order to run in the $75,000 Hard Spun at Presque Isle Downs instead. That race wasn’t to his liking either, however, so he decided to bring his gelding to Monmouth, where jockey Tyler Conner guided him to a fast-closing victory in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint.

Conner was also aboard Fierce and Strong for a statebred triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Alphabet Soup Handicap at Penn National in June. He has been telling Salvaggio that the versatile gelding is best suited to sprints, and the two are of like mind as Salvaggio points to the 5 1/2-furlong Marshall Jenney.

In eight starts on the Penn National turf, Fierce and Strong has won six times, never finishing worse than second. Still undefeated this year, the Pennsylvania-bred would return home as a potent threat if all goes well in the next few weeks.

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