Fierceness, the record-setting Florida Derby (G1) winner, was made the slight 5-2 morning-line favorite despite drawing the winless post No. 17 in a full field of 20 3-year-olds for the 150th Kentucky Derby (G1) next Saturday (May 4) at Churchill Downs.
Catalytic
The No. 5 post has produced the most winners (10), while post 8 and post 10 have each produced nine winners. Last year, Mage won from post 8. Catalytic (30-1), trained by Joseph, drew post 5.
This is the second year in a row the Repole-Pletcher combo has the morning-line favorite. Forte, also a Florida Derby winner, was last year’s early top choice only to be scratched hours before the race with a minor foot issue.
Absent from the field are horses trained by six-time Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert. He remains banned by Churchill Downs for a third straight year after his 2021 first-place finisher Medina Spirit was disqualified for an overage of a race-day medication.
Baffert would have had at least two Derby contenders in Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Muth and Santa Anita Derby runner-up Imagination. Both are expected to run in the Preakness (G1) at Pimlico on May 18 in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Fierceness, the 2-year–old champion after his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) win, finished a disappointing third in the Holy Bull (G3) in his 3-year-old debut, but staged a memorable performance in his record-setting 13 ½-length win in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March. 30.
He has been training lights out since, according to Pletcher, and seems primed for another strong race, no matter the post for the 1 ¼-mile Derby.
Last year, the field was reduced to 18 with several scratches for a variety of reasons, including injuries, new safety protocol decisions, and a suspension of Joseph, who had his Derby contender Lord Miles scratched after two other horses he trained were among 12 that died either racing or training in the days leading up to the Derby.
Sierra Leone worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 in company with stablemate Domestic Product on Saturday.
Brown said of Sierra Leone: “He’s super fit and it was just an outstanding work. I’m just trying to get him in there happy and sound. He’s a very rare horse. He’s just everything you want as a trainer.”
1 Dornoch (Luis Saez, Danny Gargan), 20-1
2 Sierra Leone (Tyler Gaffalione, Chad Brown), 3-1
3 Mystik Dan (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek), 20-1
4 Catching Freedom (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox), 8-1
5 Catalytic (Jose Ortiz, Saffie Joseph Jr.), 30-1
6 Just Steel (Keith Asmussen, D. Wayne Lukas), 20-1
7 Honor Marie (Ben Curtis, Whit Beckman), 20-1
8 Just a Touch (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox), 10-1
9 Encino (Axel Concepcion, Brad Cox), 20-1
10 T O Password (JPN) (Kazushi Kimura, Daisuke Takayanagi), 30-1
11 Forever Young (JPN) (Ryusei Sakai, Yoshito Yahagi, 10-1
12 Track Phantom (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen), 20-1
13 West Saratoga (Jesus Castanon, Larry Demerritte), 50-1
14 Endlessly (Umberto Rispoli, Michael McCarthy), 30-1
15 Domestic Product (Irad Ortiz Jr., Chad Brown), 30-1
16 Grand Mo the First (Emisael Jaramillo, Victor Barboza Jr.), 50-1
17 Fierceness (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher), 5-2
18 Stronghold (Antonio Fresu, Phil D’Amato), 20-1
19 Resilience (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott), 20-1
20 Society Man (Frankie Dettori, Danny Gargan), 50-1
Also eligibles: Epic Ride, Mugatu