Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Fierceness

Fierceness

City of Light – Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty

Bred in Kentucky by Repole Stable

Fierceness, who won last November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to cement an Eclipse Award championship, looks to cement his spot in the Kentucky Derby in Saturday’s Florida Derby.

Fierceness is a breakout horse for young sire City of Light as the first Grade 1 winner for the son of classic sire Quality Road. City of Light was never off the board in his career, earning more than $5.6 million. After winning the Grade 1 Malibu and Grade 1 Triple Bend, both at seven furlongs, he stretched out to 1 1/8 miles to win the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap over eventual Eclipse champion Accelerate. City of Light went on to finish third to Accelerate in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita going 1 1/4 miles, then was second to Whitmore in the Grade 1 Forego back around one turn. City of Light concluded his career in brilliant fashion, first winning the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, then going 1 1/8 miles again for a 5 3/4-length victory in the Pegasus World Cup, in which Accelerate was third.

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Fierceness, from the second crop of City of Light, also is the first Grade 1 winner around two turns on dirt for the stallion, whose accomplishments have been eclectic. He is represented by the good fillies Mimi Kakushi, winner of the Group 3 U.A.E. Oaks; and Chop Chop, Grade 1-placed around two turns on dirt, but also a stakes winner going a mile on both turf and synthetic. The stallion’s stakes winners also include Lights of Broadway, a stakes winner going two turns on synthetic, and turf sprinters Eye Witness, Gaslight Dancer, and Sendero.

Fierceness is the first starter for Nonna Bella, who got her two wins around one turn. The daughter of Repole’s classic-placed Travers Stakes winner Stay Thirsty is out of the owner’s foundation mare Nonna Mia, third in the Grade 1 Frizette around one turn at Belmont. Nonna Mia also is the dam of Grade 1 Wood Memorial winner Outwork and middle-distance turf stakes winner Nonna’s Boy. Nonna Mia is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Cairo Prince.

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