Fierceness wins Travers, takes inside track for 3-year-old crown

Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Fierceness now has the inside track to translate last year's 2-year-old championship into a 3-year -old crown -- a rare feat, indeed -- thanks to his stirring victory over the year's dominant 3-year-old filly, Thorpedo Anna, in Saturday's Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

That race always is the jewel in the Saratoga crown. This year, it shone as brightly as the 2,942-karat diamond recently mined in Botswana. But the "Midsummer Derby" was only the highlight of a spectacular weekend of racing, featuring several upsets and a slew of Breeders' Cup qualifiers.

Jumping right in:

The 3-year-olds

Good as he is, Fierceness had never scored back-to-back wins before holding off Thorpedo Anna by a head at the end of the $1.25 million DraftKings Travers.

He had, however, won last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile by 6 1/4 lengths, the Grade I Florida Derby by 13 1/2 lengths and, in his previous start, the Grade II Jim Dandy by 1 length.

With the Travers, he now has two Grade I wins this year, which could be enough to offset in the minds of the Eclipse Award voters his fading, 15th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

Sierra Leone and Dornoch, two other contenders for year-end honors, finished well-beaten third and fourth in the Travers.

Meanwhile, up in Canada, Caitlinhergrtness caught up with odds-on favorite My Boy Prince in deep stretch and got by to win Friday's $1 million (Canadian) King's Plate by 3/4 length.

Caitlinhergrtness, an Omaha Beach filly, finished second in the Woodbine Oaks in her previous start. My Boy Prince, third in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, won the Plate Trial in his latest.

Also: Gould's Gold won the $200,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Saturday at Parx Racing and E J Won the Cup won the $250,000 St. Louis Derby at FanDuel SportsBook and Horse Racing -- the former Fairmount Park.

Classic

Friday night at Charles Town, Skippylongstocking led throughout the $1 million Grade II Charles Town Classic and kept going to win by 5 3/4 lengths -- 3/4 length more than his 2023 winning margin. Velocitor and Komorebino Omoide were long shot second and third.

Distaff

Raging Sea took advantage of the expected pace duel between old rivals Idiomatic and Randomized in Friday's $500,000 Grade I Personal Ensign at Saratoga.

Racing from 15 or more lengths back, Raging Sea relentlessly closed that gap and won by a head from Idiomatic while Soul of an Angel passed Randomized to finish third.

The Oaks Fillies

Mystic Lake, with "Big Money" Mike Smith up won Friday night's $750,000 Charles Town Oaks, and Gun Song won Saturday's $200,000 Cathryn Sophia at Parx Racing.

Turf

Far Bridge got an uncontested lead in Saturday's $750,000 Grade I Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga, slowed things down and easily held on to win by 1 length, leading home the heavily favored Godolphin duo of Measured Time and Silver Knott.

A 4-year-old English Channel colt, Far Bridge earned a "Win and You're In" spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Turf Mile

Filo Di Arianna took the lead in Friday's $200,000 Grade II bet 365 King Edward II Stakes on the Woodbine lawn, turned back an early challenge by War Bomber and then had to face a second effort by that rival before winning by a nose.

Sprint / Dirt Mile

Mullikin made quite a statement in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Forego Stakes at Saratoga. Off to an early lead, He never looked back and crossed the finish line 5 3/4 lengths ahead of his closest rival, Gun Pilot.

Domestic Product broke last in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I H. Allen Jerkens for 3-year-olds at Saratoga, made up all the ground into a hot early pace and just did prevail over Prince of Monaco. Book'em Danno was a game third after having to thread through traffic in the stretch run.

In perhaps the biggest upset of the weekend, Raging Torrent refused to bow before heavily favored The Chosen Vron when the two hooked up in the stretch run of Saturday's $250,000 Grade II Pat O'Brien at Del Mar, came back after being headed and got the win.

He earned a "Win and You're In" spot for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Valentine Candy rallied to challenge for the lead a furlong and one-half out in Friday Night's $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial for 3-year-olds and got by pacesetting favorite Bentornato to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

Patches O'Houlihan blitzed to his ninth win from 11 career starts, taking Friday's $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Bold Venture at Woodbine after leading from the start.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Society got first run to the lead in the stretch in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga and easily repelled late bids by Scylla and the favorite, Vahva, to win by 3 1/4 lengths.

S 5-year-old Gun Runner mare trained by Steve Asmussen, Society earned a "Win and You're In" spot in the PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Free Like a Girl tracked the pace in Friday night's $500,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes for fillies and mares at Charles Town, closed steadily through the stretch and got by to win by 3/4 length over Clearly Unhinged.

Ticker Tape Home outfinished Gal in a Rush to win Saturday's $135,000 (Canadian) Grade III Seaway Stakes on the Woodbine all-weather course by a neck.

Turf Sprint

Alogon caught pacesetter That's Right in the late going to win Saturday's $100,000 Parx Dash by 3/4 length.

Future Is Now prompted the pace in Friday's $150,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes for fillies and mares at Saratoga, took over when asked by jockey Paco Lopez and won by 1/2 length over Star Guest.

Juvenile Turf

Cairo Caper ran best late to land Friday's $150,000 bet365 Soaring Free at Woodbine by 3/4 length over Dream On. The Cairo Prince gelding ran 6 1/2 furlongs on good turf in 1:16.25, winning his second race in his third start.

Juvenile / Juvenile Fillies

Aoraki, a Dominus filly trained by Steve Asmussen, won Saturday night's $100,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman, Long Neck Paula won Friday night's $100,000 Prairie Meadows Debutante, and Social Fortress took Saturday's $200,000 Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

In England, Anshoda earned a "Win and You're In" spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with a late-running win in Saturday's Group 3 William Hill Prestige Fillies Stakes at Goodwood.

Shifty led from the early strides in Friday's $150,000 (Canadian) Catch a Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine and drew off smartly to win by 3 1/4 lengths.

Around the world, around the clock

England

Saturday's Group 2 Sky Bet City of York Stakes found three double-digit outsiders -- Breege, Vafortino and Shouldvebeenaring -- finishing 1-2-3. The favorite, Audience, faded from a pace duel to finish a close fourth.

On Friday at York, Bradsell scored a "Win and You're In" berth in the Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with a 3/4-length victory over Believing in a tough renewal of the Group 1 Coolmore Wooton Bassett Stakes at 5 furlongs.

Australia

Via Sistina just did touch off Zougatcha with the favorite, Fan Girl, in third in Saturday's Group 1 Winx Stakes at Royal Randwick as trainer Chris Waller claimed all three top placings.

A 7-year-old Fastnet Rock mare, Via Sistina showed she'd lost nothing during a fourth-month layoff after winning the Group 1 Ranvet and finishing second in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth in her first two starts down under. She also was a Group 1 winner in Ireland. The Group 1 Cox Plate on Oct. 26 is the goal.