Mirroring his successful efficiency within the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional final fall, Sierra Leone rallied from behind to defeat an all-star area within the $1 million Grade 1 Whitney Stakes Aug. 2 at Saratoga Race Course.
Beating a area of high older runners, together with his Saratoga nemesis from final 12 months Fierceness, the 4-year-old Sierra Leone closed from ninth and final after six furlongs whereas touring seven vast and powered to a one-length win over runner-up Highland Falls. Sierra Leone ran 1 1/8 miles on a quick monitor in 1:48.92 beneath jockey Flavien Prat, paying $5.90 to win because the second favourite within the nine-horse area.
With the Whitney a part of the Breeders’ Cup Problem Sequence, Sierra Leone earned a “Win and You are In” computerized paid berth into the Nov. 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional at Del Mar.
The win gave coach Chad Brown his first victory within the Spa’s premier race for older grime horses. Brown, who grew up in close by Mechanicville, N.Y., has received seven Spa coaching titles in addition to a lot of the Grade 1 stakes races on the meet, however Saturday’s win eliminated one of many remaining gadgets from his bucket record.
“Rising up round right here, the Whitney and Travers are what the entire meet has been constructed round since its early days,” Brown stated. So, for me to lastly get one in all them with my mother and pop right here, my brother, my two daughters, it is reminiscences that final ceaselessly. It is a actually, actually arduous race to win and it’s important to have the correct horse.”
On a beautiful August afternoon in entrance of an on-track crowd of 42,316, Sierra Leone was certainly the correct horse. Owned by the Coolmore companions, Peter Brant, Westerberg, and Brook Smith, Sierra Leone staked his declare to being 2025’s high older horse with the win.
The tempo within the Whitney was set by two longshots, as 53-1 Mama’s Gold and Sierra Leone’s 70-1 rabbit Opposite Considering scampered away by 6 ½ lengths after a half mile in :47:07. Because the speedsters pale from the scene, 6-5 favourite Fierceness moved up from third to take the lead on the ultimate flip and entered the stretch with a brief benefit. Fierceness was quickly swallowed up by a line of closers, nonetheless, with Sierra Leone and Prat closing quickest on the far outdoors to stay a head in entrance in mid-stretch.
Simply within Sierra Leone, Godolphin’s 2024 Grade 1 Jockey Membership Gold Cup winner Highland Falls tried to stick with him within the stretch however yielded late and settled for second, two lengths forward of 46-1 shot Disarm who completed third. Fierceness pale to fifth place.
The win was the fifth victory in 12 lifetime begins for Sierra Leone, who efficiently renewed his rivalry with Fierceness relationship again to final 12 months. The 2 Grade 1 winners met 4 occasions as 3-year-olds with a 2-2 head-to-head rating that was finally determined by Sierra Leone’s 1 1/2-length victory over Fierceness within the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Traditional.
Brown stated that Sierra Leone will possible run subsequent within the Grade 1 Jockey Membership Gold Cup Aug. 31 at Saratoga as his remaining prep for a return journey to the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. Within the Jockey Membership Gold Cup, Sierra Leone is prone to face one other divisional chief, Mindframe, Fierceness’ a number of Grade 1-winning stablemate, who can also be being pointed to the race.
Saturday’s card featured a Whitney Day document all-sources deal with of $48,651,341, breaking the earlier mark of $40.4 million in 2022.
Following up a victory within the June 8 Resorts World On line casino Manhattan Stakes at 1 1/8 miles, Deterministic efficiently in the reduction of to a mile to seize his second straight Grade 1 turf victory within the $750,000 FanDuel Fourstardave Stakes Aug. 2 at Saratoga Race Course.
Mind rallied to seize second when overwhelmed 1 1/4 lengths. Win for the Cash was one other three-quarters of a size again in third.
Deterministic, a 4-year-old son of Liam’s Map skilled by Miguel Clement, raced a mile on agency turf beneath jockey Kendrick Carmouche in 1:33.87. He paid $11.20 to win.
The Fourstardave Stakes is a part of the Breeders’ Cup Problem “Win and You are In” Sequence, and along with his victory, Deterministic earned a paid, computerized berth into the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile introduced by PDJF at Del Mar Nov. 1.
Elsewhere on the Saratoga Aug. 2 race card, coach Riley Mott, son of corridor of famer Invoice Mott, acquired his first graded stakes victory with World Beater within the Grade 1 $750,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational going 1 3/16 miles on the grass. Kilwin received the Grade 1 $500,000 Check Stakes introduced by Ticketmaster, and Ewing received the Grade 2 $200,000 Saratoga Particular Stakes for 2-year-olds sporting the silks of social media influencer Griffin Johnson.
