Sierra Leone, always up front among the very best — second in the Kentucky Derby, third in the Belmont — showed power, maturity and excellent control as he took command of a thrilling stretch duel with Fierceness in the last two furlongs of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic to kick past his highly-favored rival and take the big race. The hard-charging late closer had largely been written off as City of Troy, Fierceness and the Japan-owned Forever Young hoovered up much of the pre-race attention. The victory came as sweetly as possible for trainer Chad Brown, who had stood by his colt through an admirable, if more than a little frustrating, Triple Crown campaign.
Sierra Leone will be improving his lifetime earnings with the lion’s share of the $7-million purse, taking home a handy $3.64 million. He was a winner that certainly pleased the players who had him on the ticket, paying $15.
80. Fierceness, who had gone off as the race’s favorite in the tumultuous last minutes before post time, paid a negligible $4.40 in place.
Forever Young paid an even poorer $3.60 in show. City of Troy got off slowly, and the fractions seemed quite fast for him on the dirt.
Though he did not seem highly allergic to the surface, the general newness of everything in the race, including the pace, did seem to etch at him, and he did not run as himself, with his customary power and elan. Not surprisingly, he didn’t figure in the race — he wasn’t really in it, but he traveled with it as it un.