16-1 shot Fierceness wins Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for Pletcher
— Fierceness won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by 6 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on Friday, giving trainer Todd Pletcher the early favorite for next year’s Kentucky Derby.
Pletcher and owner-breeder Mike Repole won the Juvenile last year with Forte. The colt came into the Kentucky Derby on a five-race winning streak and was the morning-line favorite only to be scratched hours before the race because of a bruise in his right front foot.
Pletcher earned his 15th Cup victory, while John Velazquez notched his 20th, second alltime among jockeys.
Fierceness ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.90 and paid $35 to win at 16-1 odds.
Muth, trained by Bob Baffert, was second. Locked, the 2-1 favorite also trained by Pletcher, was third.
Five of the seven horses that were scratched from Cup races Friday were for veterinary reasons, while the other two were by order of the stewards.
Racing resumes today with nine Cup races, including the $6 million Classic.
Two potential contenders died in the days leading up to the two-day world championships. Geaux Rocket Ride was injured in a workout and didn’t recover after having surgery. Practical Move collapsed after a gallop in what Cup officials said was a “suspected cardiac event.”
Big Evs kicked off the day’s five races for 2-year-olds with a half-length victory over Valiant Force in the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Starlust took third as European runners swept the first three places in the five-furlong dash. The winning time was 55:31 seconds.
Big Evs paid $8.40 to win as the 3-1 second choice. The colt improved to 4 for 6 as the first North American starter for both trainer Michael Appleby and jockey Tom Marquand.
Just FYI extended her unbeaten streak to three with a 7-1 win in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his 13th Cup win.