Though Peter Brant, one of many co-owners of Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional winner Sierra Leone, expressed his need throughout a Nov. 2 post-race information convention to see him run subsequent 12 months at age 4, the possession group can be contemplating the choice of standing him at stud in 2025.
Co-owner Brook Smith, chatting with reporters on the Del Mar backstretch Nov. 3, the day after the Traditional, mentioned the companions within the 3-year-old colt, which incorporates him, Brant, and Coolmore Stud-affiliated homeowners, had a dialog about Sierra’s Leone’s future on Saturday after the race.
“I’m the man that does the listening and the nodding as a result of why would I open my mouth given the historical past of these guys?” he mentioned in a nod to his companions, who’re extra skilled in racing and breeding and extra in tune with the worth of a possible stallion. “And I don’t suppose it’s been determined but.
“I imply, the logical factor from a breeding perspective – not logical, however the straightforward determination – is OK, let’s go to the (breeding) shed, however it’s undoubtedly price having a dialog about as a result of he’s sound, knock on wooden, and he appears like he’s simply now type of maturing, coming into his personal. So he may very simply type of comply with the trail of his daddy.”
His sire is none aside from Gun Runner, the second-leading sire in North America, who, after a promising 3-year-old marketing campaign in 2016, wherein he received the Clark Handicap and different races, had an much more rewarding marketing campaign at age 4. That 12 months in 2017, he received 4 Grade 1s, topped by the Breeders’ Cup Traditional en path to Horse of the 12 months honors.
He additionally made one begin as a 5-year-old, profitable the $16.3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes in January 2018, simply earlier than the beginning of the breeding season.
The Pegasus stays an choice for potential stallions, even as we speak, via its purse of $3 million is down sharply from the times of a slot-boosting format that led to huge purses for its first couple of years.
Racing additional into the winter and spring gives choices such because the $20 million Saudi Cup and the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline within the Center East throughout the winter and early spring.
To compete within the latter two races, nevertheless, would require forgoing the 2025 breeding season with a extremely precious horse. Sierra Leone is deemed as the total bundle. Moreover being by Gun Runner, the Debby Oxley-bred colt is out of the Grade 1-winning Malibu Moon mare Heavenly Love.
His appears, pedigree, and racing potential are why his homeowners went to $2.3 million to purchase him from Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale in 2022.
Sierra Leone’s homeowners at the moment have been betting on him creating right into a stallion – and along with his achievements, that may in some unspecified time in the future turn into a actuality. His worth now far exceeds his preliminary eye-catching value.
Coolmore’s American stallions stand at Ashford Stud in Central Kentucky.
Requested if the companions had set a timeline for the choice, Smith didn’t give a selected reply, saying, “I feel that everyone will soak this factor in.”
Neither coach Chad Brown nor any of the opposite homeowners in addition to Smith have been at Del Mar when Smith spoke to the media throughout a chosen time for day-after images and press entry.
“Every part’s all good,” assistant coach Baldo Hernandez mentioned Sunday morning. “He’ll ship tomorrow to Kentucky and perhaps Florida after that. I don’t know for positive; it’s as much as the boss.”
Smith mentioned the Bottom Studying Heart earned $58,000 from his share in Sierra Leone’s earnings via the Purses for Function program wherein he participates. Smith donates 10% of his secure’s earnings to the BLC. He additionally mentioned he has a “ticket price $30,000” he plans to present to the award-winning non-profit.
Fierceness To Keep In Coaching
As introduced final month, Coolmore has secured the breeding rights to Breeders’ Cup Traditional runner-up Fierceness, having entered right into a cope with proprietor Mike Repole of Repole Secure after the colt received the 2023 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Offered by TAA.
Repole indicated in a publish on X that he was staying in with a big share in Fierceness’ breeding rights. The settlement features a provision for Fierceness to probably run again as a 4-year-old.
In a publish on X on Sunday, Repole said he certainly plans to maintain Fierceness in coaching for 2025.
“The good information is, I’ve made the choice to carry again Fierceness subsequent 12 months with the aim of being the very best 4-year-old on the earth! The last word aim for Fierceness is to come back again to Del Mar and handle some unfinished enterprise and win the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Traditional,” Repole said on the social media platform.
Coolmore will obtain 50% of Fierceness’s racing rights for a 4-year-old marketing campaign, Repole posted.
“He got here out of the race very nicely,” Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher informed Breeders’ Cup publicity on Sunday. “Seems to be good this morning. He’s going to go to Kentucky tomorrow and goes to get an entire bodily. Presently, the plan could be for him to go on to Palm Seaside Downs from there and put together for a 4-year-old marketing campaign.”