Pletcher preps Fierceness for cutback in Met Mile with half-mile move
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fierceness on Friday morning geared up for his cutback to one mile in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 7 by working a half-mile in 49.68 seconds over the Oklahoma training track.
Fierceness, starting just off of workmate Tuscan Sky, went in splits of 12.71 seconds, 24.83, and came home in 24.85, per Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch, who had Fierceness galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.63 and six furlongs in 1:15.58 over a rather dull-playing surface.
“Pretty much the same breeze we’ve seen all three times since he got here,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Very good, very easy. Impressive horse to watch breeze.”
Pletcher said Tuscan Sky is being considered for the Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park on June 14 provided he will be permitted to run. Saratoga shippers are barred from shipping to Monmouth Park and several other tracks after Barn 85 was placed under quarantine due to a case of strangles found in a horse housed in that barn.
Fierceness is coming off a 1 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs, a race which was picked out by owner Mike Repole after Pletcher had been planning to use the Westchester on May 3 at Aqueduct as a prep. Fierceness, who did win his career debut at six furlongs, has not run a race as short as one mile since he finished seventh in the Grade 1 Champagne in October of 2023.
“I think he’s like a lot of the really good horses in that he can do anything,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher on Friday also worked Mindframe, who is coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes at seven furlongs. Mindframe is pointing to the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 28, but Pletcher did not rule out entering him in the Met Mile, pending a discussion with owner Mike Repole. Entries close on Sunday and that race, along with the Belmont Stakes, will be drawn Monday.
The Met Mile is expected to draw a compact field, including White Abarrio, who on Thursday worked a half-mile in 47.90 seconds over Saratoga’s main track; Raging Torrent, the Godolphin Mile winner, who arrived in Saratoga earlier this week; and Just a Touch, who has won two straight allowance races for trainer Brad Cox.
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