Underestimated no more, Derby contender Fierceness is the favorite at Saturday’s Holy Bull Stakes

In 1965, Eric Burdon and the Animals had a hit record with “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” It’s a song that has also been performed by Joe Cocker, Nina Simone, Elvis Costello and many others. Its plaintive cry of “Oh Lord, Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” can be applied to many of us in trying times. Leading up to last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, it might’ve been applied to the public perception of the Todd Pletcher-trained Fierceness.

Before his first start, Fierceness was what racing people call a “well-meant” horse. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and owned by powerhouse owner Mike Repole, he also had outstanding breeding on his side. His sire was City of Light, whose resume included a Breeders’ Cup win and a win in the Pegasus World Cup. In 11 career starts, he was never worse than third. Fierceness was out of the Repole-owned broodmare Nonna Bella, so Repole would have an emotional attachment to this one as Nonna Bella was named for the matriarch of the Repole clan.

Maiden races at Saratoga often feature very well-bred horses, so when Fierceness had his first start last August, it wouldn’t be an easy task. The word was out that he would be a high-quality individual, and he was sent off as an even-money favorite. He delivered on his promise, winning by a whopping 11 lengths. For his next start, he would move on to the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct. Sent off at very short odds of 1-2 on a sloppy track, he endured what racing fans call a “trip from hell.” First, he lunged at the break and threw his rider off balance. Then, he endured interference and bumping from two different horses. He had traffic problems throughout the race and was forced to lose ground and go wide for the entire trip. In the end, all this misfortune led him to tire and finish 7 in an 8-horse field.

Here’s where the being misunderstood comes into play. Which version of Fierceness was he, really? Was he the horse who posted a dominant 11-length win at Saratoga, or was that an anomaly, as his move into a Grade 1 race clearly was not a success? There was significant speculation about whether he would even move on to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Pletcher kept training him forwardly, and he was impressed with what he saw, ultimately deciding to enter him in the race. But the public wasn’t convinced, and they let him go off at 16-1 odds in the Juvenile. The public was wrong, and Pletcher, Repole, and jockey John Velazquez were right. Fierceness had a clean trip and blew away the field by over 6 lengths, thus redeeming his reputation and becoming the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby. It was a performance that would lead to an Eclipse Award as the top 2-year-old colt of 2023.

The next step in the journey to the first Saturday in May for Fierceness will be this Saturday’s Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream, where he will be a strong favorite. He had a short layoff after the Breeders’ Cup, but since late December he has posted seven evenly-spaced workouts and Pletcher has been very pleased with his progress. His top challenger in the race should be Otello, from the barn of Christophe Clement. He is undefeated in 2 starts, and he won the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream in his last start.

The Holy Bull Stakes is the centerpiece of a 2-hour program this Saturday on CNBC. The show will feature three other stakes races from Gulfstream and two from Santa Anita. The feature event from Santa Anita will be the Robert B. Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds. Both the Holy Bull and the Robert B. Lewis offer 20 qualifying points to the Kentucky Derby for the race winners.

How to Watch Horseracing this weekend on CNBC

The First Saturday in February airs this Saturday on CNBC, with races from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita highlighted by the Holy Bull Stakes from Gulfstream and the Robert B. Lewis from Santa Anita.

• Date: Saturday, February 3rd
• Time: 4pm ET
• TV Network: CNBC

When is the 2024 Kentucky Derby?

The 2024 Kentucky Derby, which marks the 150th edition of the race, will run on Saturday, May 4th.