Del Mar and Saratoga hosted major Grade I races this weekend that showcased several Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders, with jockey John Velazquez emerging as the clear winner after claiming victories in Saturday’s Pacific Classic and Sunday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Trainer Todd Pletcher’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Fierceness overcame early trouble to capture the Pacific Classic with a 107 Beyer Speed Figure. The City of Light colt initially attempted to duck into the temporary rail leaving the 10-furlong start chute before recovering impressively.
“I wanted to stay off his mouth,” Velazquez said after the race. “He was keen to go on. I wanted to get him off the bridle a little and let him finish.”
Fierceness pulled away by 3 1/4 lengths at 8-5 odds over 2-5 favorite Journalism. While some might question the depth of competition he faced down the stretch, the victory marks his second win at the Classic distance of 1 1/4 miles.
The colt will now return to New York to train for the November 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, where he finished second last year as the beaten favorite.
In a surprising turn at Saratoga, Pletcher’s Antiquarian upset the Jockey Club Gold Cup at 13-1 odds after stablemate Mindframe lost his jockey in a gate incident that dramatically altered the race.
The 4-year-old Preservationist son tracked midpack before steadily closing on the pacesetter, ultimately prevailing by 1 1/2 lengths over 1.15-1 favorite Sierra Leone. The victory earned Antiquarian an automatic, fees-paid berth into the Classic.
Defending Classic champion Sierra Leone was forced to alter course around the fallen jockey early, then build his bid with a loose horse ahead of him. The 4-year-old launched his characteristic late run three furlongs out but couldn’t catch Antiquarian.
Sierra Leone’s best performances typically come when benefiting from significant pace pressure up front — similar to his Whitney Stakes victory where he capitalized on a contested pace. He won last year’s Classic off similar 2 1/2-month spacing after being defeated as the favorite in the Travers.
Journalism, facing older horses for the first time, failed to show progression when finishing second in the Pacific Classic with a 102 Beyer. The three-time Grade I winner employed his typical drop-back style but lacked the impressive final-sixteenth acceleration that secured his victories in the Preakness and Haskell.
The Curlin colt now faces a nine-week break before the Breeders’ Cup — his longest layoff since last winter. He’ll enter the Classic with three attempts at 10 furlongs this season, finishing second each time.
Mindframe dislodged jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. shortly after the break in the Gold Cup and ran riderless before being caught. “Fine” was trainer Pletcher’s assessment hours after the incident.
Should he target the Classic, Mindframe would be an intriguing contender given his versatile running style and perfect 3-for-3 record in stakes this year, having defeated Sierra Leone, Nysos, and sprinter Book ’em Danno at distances between seven and nine furlongs.
‘TDN Rising Star’ Nysos scratched from the Pacific Classic with what trainer Bob Baffert described as a “sensitive” hind hoof bruise. By Sunday, Baffert told Daily Racing Form the Nyquist colt “looked better” and would target the nine-furlong Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita on September 27.
Despite having raced only six times in a career spanning 21 months, Nysos entered the weekend on a two-race win streak. He dominated the Triple Bend Stakes with a 108 Beyer in May before winning the San Diego Handicap in July, giving him valuable experience over the Del Mar surface. However, he has yet to race beyond 1 1/16 miles.
