Longshot Fierceness Wins Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Owner Contemplates Skipping Kentucky Derby

Fierceness, a 16-1 longshot, rebounds from recent 20-length defeat in the Champagne Stakes to win $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile by a large margin, sparking owner Mike Repole's consideration of skipping the Kentucky Derby to avoid previous disappointments.

Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole, won the $2 million Juvenile by a large margin at the Breeders' Cup, bouncing back from a recent 20-length defeat in the Champagne Stakes.
The impressive recovery led owner Mike Repole to consider skipping the Kentucky Derby despite Fierceness being the potential early favorite, due to Repole's previous experiences with Forte and Uncle Mo who were scratched hours before their respective races.
Fierceness's performance at the Breeders' Cup beat trainer Bob Baffert's Muth as well as Locked, another horse trained by Pletcher. The horse completed the 1 1/16 mile race in 1:41.90, paying out $35 at 16-1 odds.
Five additional horses were scratched from the Breeders' Cup races due to veterinary reasons, while two others were withdrawn by the order of the stewards.
Repole reflected on the win as special, marking it as a significant victory in his career, drawing a parallel to his success 14 years ago with Uncle Mo, another horse that enjoyed success at the Breeders' Cup.