The Whitney “Old School”
Although Fierceness enters this year’s Whitney as the likely favorite, he’s 3-for-4 at Saratoga, with wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers, and a recent runner‑up finish in the Met Mile, his record also shows he can be mercurial, alternating dominant efforts with less inspiring ones. If he’s on his game on Saturday, he’s very hard to beat. That said, the horse can require time between starts and a spot‑on trip.
By contrast, Sierra Leone, trained by Chad Brown, is remarkably consistent: he’s never missed the board in 11 starts, including a huge runner‑up in the Kentucky Derby, near‑misses in the Belmont Stakes and Travers, and a big win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic over Fierceness. In 2025, he ran third in the New Orleans Classic and second to Mindframe in the Stephen Foster Stakes—both what I see as improving efforts especially the Foster.
The presence of an old school “rabbit” in the field—a speed horse from the same barn to ensure a strong early pace seems tailored to set the race up for a closer like Sierra Leone. Chad Brown likely has orchestrated the pace scenario to ensure enough zip up front for Sierra Leone’s late kick. If Fierceness is left handling that pace and some good pace pressers as well, Sierra Leone could be poised to roll by them all in deep stretch.
The Stephen Foster Stakes indeed looks like a perfect prep for Sierra Leone. That race was run at Churchill Downs on June 28, where he closed from far back and fell short to Midframe who got the jump on him following a perfect trip. That effort tells me the colt is peaking toward this spot and ready for a big day at the Spa.
In short: while Fierceness may be the most likely winner if he brings his A‑game, Sierra Leone is clearly capable of beating him if the pace develops right especially with Chad Brown’s pace tactics setting the table. If Sierra Leone can fire his best shot off a fast early tempo, he’s got a huge chance to re‑assert himself as one of the division’s premier older horses. I believe he will do just that, and I will wager accordingly. I like the old school rabbit and we know or at least some of us do that has worked in the Whitney at Saratoga before.
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