Photo:

Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire

Fierceness reportedly will have Grade 1 dates in the Met
Mile and Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on the way to the Breeders’ Cup Classic next
fall at Del Mar.

Breeder-owner Mike Repole spoke to BloodHorse about
his plans for the now 4-year-old colt who is a candidate to add to another
division championship to his Eclipse Award as the top juvenile male of 2023.

Why Sierra Leone is DeRosa’s Eclipse choice.

Fierceness, who finished second to Sierra Leone two months
ago in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, also could have a prep race or two this
spring before racing in June in the Met Mile. Repole even suggested that the son
of City of Light could go in a Grade 1 turf race sometime this year.

Although he all but ruled out Fierceness for this month’s
Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park, Repole said Grade 2
winner Crupi, now 5, could go there. He also said lightly raced 4-year-old Mindframe,
the runner-up in both the Belmont Stakes and the Haskell (G1), would be pointed
to a prep race before a possible start April 5 in the Dubai World Cup (G1).

Todd Pletcher trains all three horses. Repole and Vinnie
Viola are co-owners of Mindframe and Crupi.