Coolmore's Ashford Stud purchases City Of Troy's big Breeders' Cup Classic rival Fierceness

Coolmore's Ashford Stud has purchased Fierceness, the 2023 champion two-year-old and a leading Breeders' Cup Classic contender. 

The three-time Grade 1-winning son of City Of Light, by Quality Road, will enter stud at Ashford in Kentucky at the end of his racing career.

Fierceness enhanced his championship title that followed a six-and-a-quarter-length win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with a victory at three in the Florida Derby, by 13 and a half lengths, and further proved to be one of the country's best sophomores by winning the Travers Stakes. 

In the Travers, he showed both class and determination in defeating multiple Grade 1 winner Thorpedo Anna, Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch, and Grade 1 winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierra Leone. 

Fierceness has been campaigning as a homebred for Mike Repole and is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Fierceness is out of the winning Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella, a Repole Stable homebred daughter of Grade 1-placed winner Nonna Mia, who is a half-sister to prominent sire Cairo Prince (Pioneerof The Nile). Nonna Bella is a half-sister to Wood Memorial Stakes and successful sire Outwork (Uncle Mo).

Fierceness: "He has proven himself to be a champion on the dirt at both two and three years"Credit: Edward Whitaker

Ashford's manager Dermot Ryan said: "Fierceness hails from a young and hugely exciting family of his owner-breeder Mike Repole. He is an outstanding physical and has proven himself to be a champion on the dirt at both two and three years. 

"We're tremendously excited to welcome Fierceness to Ashford, be it this year or next. We will discuss his future with Mike, Todd and the team following what looks to be the race of the year in the Breeders' Cup Classic."

With the acquisition of Fierceness, Coolmore's international racing operation will have three contenders starting in the Breeders' Cup Classic. They include early favourite and four-time Group 1 winner City Of Troy, this year's Derby hero. 

City Of Troy is a son of Ashford's Justify, the leading North American third-crop sire by progeny earnings ($13,640,303) and number of black-type stakes winners (15). 

City Of Troy, Fierceness, and Sierra Leone are among the top four betting interests in the Classic on Saturday. City Of Troy is a best-priced 7-4 with British and Irish bookmakers, with Fierceness available at 5-1 and Sierra Leone 12-1. Japan's main hope, Forever Young, is 11-2.

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