Fierceness and Sierra Leone, two prominent 4-year-old thoroughbreds, are set to face off again in the $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on August 2, 2025. Their last high-stakes encounter was in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic, where Sierra Leone narrowly defeated Fierceness, influencing Eclipse Award decisions. Both horses have had challenging starts to their 2025 campaigns, with Fierceness recovering from a six-month layoff and showing mixed results, while Sierra Leone has faced tough competition and unsuitable race conditions but is expected to peak in the latter half of the year.
Trainer Todd Pletcher remains optimistic about Fierceness, citing his past Saratoga successes, including wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes, and plans to run him in the Whitney over stablemate Mindframe. Meanwhile, Sierra Leone’s trainer Chad Brown believes the horse is in good form despite earlier setbacks and expects a strong performance if the race conditions favor him. The Whitney Stakes also features other notable entrants like White Abarrio, the 2023 Whitney and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, and Skippylongstocking, a consistent graded stakes competitor seeking his first Grade 1 victory.
