Can Fierceness Rebound Again in Jim Dandy at the Spa?

A look at the past performances for Fierceness indicates he’s ready for another fantastic race rather than a flop in Saturday’s $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course.

The 3-year-old son of City of Light has been overpowering in three victories but in each of his following starts he came up with a dud.

Most recently, Fierceness finished 15^th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 4 as the 3-1 favorite.

In the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy, front-running Fierceness is the 9-5 second betting choice behind 1-1 favorite, the deep closing Sierra Leone.

It would be just the second time Fierceness is not the favorite – the only other time was in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), a race he won by 6 ¼ lengths at 16-1 odds and earned the Eclipse Award as the champion 2-year-old male.

Of course, he ran seventh in the Champagne Stakes (G1) months earlier after winning at first asking by 11 ¼ lengths. After the BC Juvenile, he finished third in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) in his 3-year-old debut.

Fierceness Set to Compete in Jim Dandy Stakes After Haskell Scratch

Fierceness did not run in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and was scratched from the Haskell Stakes (G1) in favor of the Jim Dandy. Trainer Todd Pletcher, seeking a record-extending eighth Jim Dandy victory (he won last year with Forte), believes the good Fierceness will show up Saturday.

On Sunday (July 21), Fierceness worked 4 furlongs in 49.61 seconds in company with 3-year-old maiden Marche. “He’s benefited from that time [off], put back on some weight, his works have been exceptional,” Pletcher told drf.com.

“Obviously, we’re hoping to have him regroup and have him run his ‘A’ race. It’s what we’d be hoping for any horse that didn’t perform well in the Derby.”

We’ll soon find out if the win big, lose big trend continues.

Sierra Leone and Preakness (G1) winner Seize the Grey, who finished third and seventh, respectively, in the Belmont are also primed for strong efforts in this prep for the Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 24.

Batten Down and Gould’s Gold, the 1-2 finishers in the Ohio Derby (G3), and maiden winner Pony Express complete the field of six.

Post time is 5:43 p.m. ET.

For those who bet horse racing, the picks …

1 Sierra Leone 2 Fierceness 3 Batten Down

The field for the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:

1 Sierra Leone (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown), 1-1

2 Seize the Grey (Jamie Torres, D. Wayne Lukas), 6-1

3 Batten Down (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott), 5-1

4 Pony Express (Joel Rosario, John Sadler), 20-1

5 Gould’s Gold (Brian Hernandez, Jr., Kenny McPeek), 15-1

6 Fierceness (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher), 9-5