SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Not needed as an understudy for Mindframe in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Haskell at Monmouth Park, Fierceness will get to play the starring role for his connections in this Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. Fierceness, last year’s 2-year-old champion who this year won the Grade 1 Florida Derby but finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby, drew the outside post in a field of six entered Sunday for the Jim Dandy, run at 1 1/8 miles. The field includes beaten Belmont Stakes favorite Sierra Leone, Preakness winner Seize the Grey, Ohio Derby one-two finishers Batten Down and Gould’s Gold and the recent maiden winner and California shipper Pony Express. On Sunday, Fierceness put in his final workout for the Jim Dandy, going a relatively easy half-mile in 49.61 seconds in company with the 3-year-old maiden Marche. “We wanted an easy half, controlled gallop-out six days out and it looks like he’s moving very well, in hand throughout,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. :: Gain a competitive edge at Saratoga with DRF's premier handicapping data — purchase our meet packages today and bet with confidence. Pletcher felt Fierceness didn’t recover from the Kentucky Derby as well as he would have liked - the horse having lost some weight - so the decision was made to skip the Belmont Stakes on June 8. The horse had a three-week break from the worktab after having his first post-Derby breeze on May 24. “He’s benefited from that time, put back on some weight, his works have been exceptional,” Pletcher said. “I think a little bit of extra time and freshening has him back in his best form.” While the Jim Dandy is considered a prep for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 24, it’s still an important race for Fierceness, whose lone win from three starts this year came four months ago. “Obviously, we’re hoping to have him regroup and have him run his ‘A’ race,” Pletcher said. “It’s what we’d be hoping for for any horse that didn’t perform well in the Derby.” Sierra Leone did perform well in the Derby and Belmont, finishing second and third, respectively. On Sunday, he put in his final work for the Jim Dandy with a very sharp move that officially was a half-mile in 49.35 seconds, but one punctuated by a gallop-out of five furlongs in 1:02.53, six furlongs in 1:14.85 and seven furlongs in 1:29. “Horse is doing super,” trainer Chad Brown said. “More of the same. He’s been working consistently that way every week. I’m real pleased with him.” Sierra Leone drew the rail and will be ridden by the hot-riding Flavien Prat. In between Sierra Leone and Fierceness in post order are Seize the Grey, Batten Down, Pony Express and Gould’s Gold. Batten Down worked five furlongs in 1:01.66 Sunday over the Oklahoma training track. Pletcher contemplates blinkers for Mindframe For the second straight race, Mindframe got in front of Dornoch in a Grade 1 stakes, but he couldn’t finish the job and finished second, 1 1/2 lengths behind Dornoch, in Saturday’s $1 million Haskell in a repeat of the Belmont Stakes last month. Mindframe made a four-wide sweep to the lead outside the quarter, but Dornoch battled back along the inside under Luis Saez to get the victory. Pletcher said Ortiz told him that Mindframe idled some when he got in front. Ortiz told Pletcher that he felt the outside paths were the better part of the track, but Mindframe did come in a path from Ortiz’s right-handed whip and out a path from his left-handed stick. In the Belmont, he came out several paths from Ortiz’s left-handed stick. “He thought the track was a little bit better towards the middle and so he was on the path that he wanted to be on,” Pletcher said. “I didn’t feel like he veered off course like he did in the Belmont.” Ortiz mentioned the idea of adding blinkers to Mindframe’s equipment. It’s something Pletcher will contemplate, but was not committing to on Sunday. “We talked about it a little bit, Irad mentioned it,” Pletcher said. “I don’t want to make any decisions right after the race.” Mindframe was due back in Saratoga on Monday. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.