Sierra Leone , his lofty reputation blemished after four consecutive defeats following his victory in the April 6 Blue Grass Stakes (G1), shined in a championship-defining moment to defeat fellow 3-year-olds Fierceness and Forever Young in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
Beyond capturing the $6.44 million, 1 1/4-mile dirt race, with $3,640,000 going to his winning owners, his victory thrust him firmly back into the picture for champion 3-year-old male honors and likely to the top of the class. He and Fierceness have two grade 1 victories and a grade 2 triumph this year (as does the retired Dornoch and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Seize the Grey ), but Sierra Leone’s Classic victory is likely to leave a lasting impression on Eclipse Award voters when ballots are submitted in a couple of months.
Being a son of Gun Runner out of the grade 1-winning Malibu Moon mare Heavenly Love , these were the types of races in which his owners—Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook Smith—dreamt he could excel. Their expectations were always high after they partnered to acquire him for $2.3 million in 2022 at Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale.
He delivered Saturday, as he nearly did in the Kentucky Derby (G1), when he was second, beaten a nose by Mystik Dan . In that race, he lugged in through the stretch, bumping with Forever Young, compromising both of their chances.
But he was professional from start to finish in the Classic under Flavien Prat, his rider since the Derby. Prat settled him outside in 11th early in the 14-horse field, alongside slow-breaking Irish invader City of Troy , the top-rated turf horse in the world who was attempting to transfer his racing excellence to dirt under Ryan Moore.
City of Troy, unaccustomed to dirt kickback, never picked up his pace to threaten under Ryan Moore, but Sierra Leone did, picking off rivals beginning on the backstretch and early on the second turn after Japanese 4-year-old Derma Sotogake set rapid fractions of :22.43, :44.96, and 1:09.44. Once the field began to approach the stretch, there was little doubt of the horse who was moving best. Sierra Leone went from eighth after six furlongs to third after a mile.
Though a pace-pressing Fierceness had taken over from Derma Sotogake, Sierra Leone was in hot pursuit. A powerful finisher, he took over from favored Fierceness, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, in early stretch and gradually pulled away from the determined runner-up to score by 1 1/2 lengths in a time of 2:00.78 before a crowd of 36,436 fans. He paid $15.80 to win.
Forever Young, who stalked the pace in fourth for much of the Classic, finished evenly to grab third, a half-length ahead of fourth-place Newgate , the top-performing older horse whose early stretch bid stalled late. Senor Buscador was fifth.
Tapit Trice , Pyrenees , City of Troy, Highland Falls , Ushba Tesoro , Mixto , Arthur’s Ride , Derma Sotogake, and Next completed the order of finish.
The victory is the 19th for Sierra Leone’s trainer Chad Brown at the Breeders’ Cup and his first in the Classic.
“It means so much to have this box checked, if you will—a huge dirt race—particularly for this horse and his Kentucky Derby. That was a tough moment for everyone involved because you never know when you’re going to get there again,” Brown said.
Chad Brown in the winner’s circle after Sierra Leone won the Breeders’ Cup Classic
Prat picked up a second Classic victory after Flightline ‘s success in 2022. The jockey, who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) aboard Moira a race after the Classic, has seven Breeders’ Cup wins overall.
“Obviously the pace was good and we found ourselves in a good spot,” he said. “I was able to stay outside and the whole way around (the track) it felt like I was gaining ground on the leaders. Actually I was a bit worried that I got there (to the front) too soon but once I got the lead, I asked him to make his move and that was it.”
Fierceness Brave in Defeat
The connections of Fierceness, trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez, were proud of their colt’s effort in light of the hot pace that unfolded. Velazquez said he tried to keep his mount relaxed but that a scramble for position by other horses, including two on the outside, made Fierceness competitive.
Velazquez said he saw Sierra Leone coming, “and there was nothing I could do about it. I did all the work in the first part of the race. He did a little too much early.”
Sierra Leone, bred by Debby Oxley, has career earnings of $6,008,000, accomplished with a 4-3-2 record in nine starts. He could pad that bankroll next year. Though he is valuable as a stallion prospect and is part-owned by affiliated ownership from Coolmore Stud, a member of his ownership suggested he could return in 2025.
“He’s a horse that I hope we see him run as a 4-year-old because he’s the kind of horse we want to look at racing in these big races,” Brant said.
A season of racing in 2025 is not in the cards for City of Troy, who becomes a sire at the operation’s Irish headquarters next year. Rather than run him in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T), where he would have been favored, his connections opted for the higher-risk, higher-reward option of the Classic. Had he been successful, his already-established international appeal as a stallion would have soared further.
This marked O’Brien’s 18th defeat in the Classic. His stable is comprised mostly of European turf horses.
“He lost it at the start, and obviously I didn’t have him prepared to come out quick enough. We thought we did but we didn’t. He missed it and left Ryan with no chance really, the race was over at the start,” said the 20-time Breeders’ Cup-winning trainer. “He’s been an incredible horse and it’s so sporting of the lads to let us have a go at this race. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to have him and we’ll look forward to having his foals. It’s great the lads love the sport so much that they aren’t afraid to push the boundaries and put him in somewhere they haven’t been before.”
The Classic’s Championship Implications
Sixteen of the prior 40 winners of the Breeders’ Cup Classic were later honored as North America’s Horse of the Year, most recently Flightline. Last year, Classic winner White Abarrio fell short of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Cody’s Wish following his memorable season. Similarly, Sierra Leone may not have done enough to outpoll the 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna after her near-perfect season, which was capped by a triumph against older fillies and mares in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).
“I think Horse of the Year is a lot to ask. If our horse had gotten that nose down in the Derby and such, I think he has a stronger case for that,” Brown said. “With that said, the Classic carries a lot of weight. But I have a lot of respect for Thorpedo Anna. The fact she actually took on males in the Travers and nearly won, I’d say she’s the heavy favorite to get that. If she were to get it, there would be no argument from me personally.”
Gun Runner, the second-leading sire in North America, will stand the 2025 season for $250,000 at Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky. Sierra Leone is one of four grade 1 winners for Gun Runner this year, the others being Gun Pilot , Vahva , and Society .
