In one of the most thrilling stretch drives of the year, the reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, Fierceness, showcased his indomitable spirit to narrowly defeat top 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna, winning the prestigious Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. This victory marked a significant milestone for Fierceness, who, after capturing the Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun on July 27, notched back-to-back wins for the first time in his career, silencing any lingering doubts about his abilities.
The Travers Stakes, known as the “Mid-Summer Derby,” drew an elite field of eight, featuring not just Fierceness and Thorpedo Anna, but also the formidable Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell-winner Dornoch, as well as Grade 1-winner Sierra Leone. With such a star-studded lineup, the race promised to be a spectacle, and it delivered in spades.
Fierceness, a Kentucky homebred for Repole Stable, provided his trainer Todd Pletcher with his third victory in this historic 10-furlong race for sophomores. The race unfolded with intensity as the field turned for home, with Fierceness and Thorpedo Anna locking into a fierce battle down the stretch. Thorpedo Anna, trained by Kenny McPeek, made a valiant attempt to become the first filly to win the Travers since Lady Rotha in 1915, and only the fifth filly to contest the race since 1962. Despite her best efforts, she fell just a head short, earning the best finish by a filly in the Travers in decades.
John Velazquez, the Hall of Fame rider aboard Fierceness, expertly guided his mount past the roaring Saratoga grandstand, coaxing every ounce of determination from the colt. With every stride, Fierceness dug deeper, ultimately fending off Thorpedo Anna’s relentless challenge. The victory etched Fierceness’s name into the history books, as he became the 13th horse to complete the Jim Dandy/Travers double, joining an illustrious list that includes another Pletcher-trained and Repole-owned star, Stay Thirsty, who accomplished the feat in 2011.
Bred for success, Fierceness is out of the winning Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella, adding another layer of accomplishment to his already impressive pedigree. His Travers victory solidified his standing as one of the top 3-year-olds in the country and underscored his potential for even greater achievements in the future.
For McPeek and Thorpedo Anna, the narrow defeat was bittersweet. McPeek expressed immense pride in his filly, who has consistently proven herself against the best of her generation. Though victory eluded them, Thorpedo Anna’s performance was nothing short of remarkable, as she added her name to the short list of fillies who have made their mark in the Travers.
The 2024 Travers Stakes will be remembered not only for Fierceness’s gritty triumph but also for the extraordinary effort by Thorpedo Anna, as both horses delivered a race for the ages at the storied Saratoga Race Course.
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