In as dominating performance as there has ever been in the Florida Derby, Fierceness dominated and won by double-digit lengths. The reigning Breeders Cup Juvenile winner showed his peak class on Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
The Mike Repole-owned and Todd Pletcher-trained colt is now likely to be the favorite on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, and actually throttled off the gas coming home because there was simply no one to challenge the last quarter-mile.
Fierceness broke well from the No. 10 gate, and took the lead around the first turn of the nine furlong race. He was four in front at the top of the turn for home, and crossed the line by at least 12 and possibly more as the field was well out of camera frame at the end.
His time was 1:48:22.
2024 Florida Derby Payouts
Win: Fierceness
$4.20, $3.20, $2.80
Place: Catalytic
$12.20, $8.00
Show: Grand Mo The First
$6.40
$1 Exacta: 10-7 $52.60
$0.50 Tri: 10-7-4 $204.25
$0.10 Super: 10-7-4-9 $169.36
$1.00 Superhighfive 10-7-4-9-2 $11,727.20
Here’s the dominating performance in full:
#Hipismo Así galopó Fierceness Florida Derby (G-1) con @ljlmvel el pupilo de @NotTheToddster dejó tremendo tiempo parando 108.1 para 1800 mts pic.twitter.com/Cvvv8gGAzJ
— Harrington Hurtado (@HURTADO5544) March 30, 2024
