Sierra Leone wins Breeders’ Cup Classic after Derby disappointment

Sierra Leone rallied past Fierceness in the final stretch to win the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, expunging the memory of Kentucky Derby disappointment.

The colt trained by Chad Brown had been pipped at the wire by Mystik Dan at Churchill Downs in May, but finished off his three-year-old season in style at Del Mar in California.

“The Kentucky Derby was a tough moment for everybody involved because you never know when you’re going to get there again,” Brown said. “For him to redeem himself and close out the year as probably the best three-year-old in a very deep division, I couldn’t be more happy for this horse.

“He really deserves it.”

Japan’s Forever Young was third while European hopeful City of Troy struggled in his first race on dirt and left Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien still seeking a Classic win after 18 attempts.

Japanese hope Derma Sotogake took the early lead shadowed by Forever Young as they set a blazing pace.

Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year, went off as the betting favorite and was piloted to the front by jockey John Velazquez in the final turn.

But Sierra Leone, ridden by Flavien Prat, broke from the pack to secure his first win since the Blue Grass Stakes in April.

Prat said the fast pace benefitted his mount.

“When I rode him (before), we never had pace,” Prat said. “He comes from behind, so he never had a chance. Today the pace was good and he was able to show his talent.”

The outcome oddly gave City of Troy owners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith a chance to celebrate — as members of the Sierra Leone ownership group.

But it was a bitter blow for O’Brien, just a day after he saddled winners in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf to equal D. Wayne Lukas’s record of 20 Breeders’ Cup winners as a trainer.

City of Troy had established himself as the world’s top turf horse, rebounding from a 2000 Guineas flop with wins this year in the Derby, the Eclipse and the International Stakes at York.

Sired by US Triple Crown winner Justify, he also had the pedigree to excel on dirt, but never established himself in the race.

“They went so hard and he just couldn’t get going,” City of Troy jockey Ryan Moore said.

Added O’Brien: “The race was over at the start.”