Photo:

Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire

Trainer Todd Pletcher remained noncommittal Sunday about whether Fierceness would line up next month for the 1 1/4-mile, Grade 1 Travers Stakes after Repole Stable’s Kentucky homebred delivered a one-length win Saturday in the 1 1/8-mile, $500,000 Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga.

“Right now we just want to give it a few days and see how he comes out of it,” Pletcher said. “So far he looks good this morning, so we’ll play it by ear.”

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Pletcher also trains Repole and St. Elias Stables’ Mindframe, the Belmont (G1) and Haskell (G1) runner-up who also may be pointed to the Travers. The pragmatic Hall of Famer said it is not realistic to expect to continue keeping two of the division’s top dirt routers apart.

“As much as we want to always keep them separate,” Pletcher said, “if it comes up where we feel it’s the right thing for each horse, then we’ll let them sort it out on the track.”

Pletcher said he was pleased to see Fierceness bounce back Saturday in the 3-year-old colt’s first start since a 15th-place finish May 4 as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby.

“I think he’s been a little harshly criticized at times when not running his very best, but I think if you look at some of the excuses he’s had, they’re legitimate,” Pletcher said. “Yesterday he showed he can run with the best of them and has the fight in him. I was happy to see it.”

The 2023 champion 2-year-old male drifted out to the center of the course as Grade 1-winning Sierra Leone made a final rush, but the Eclipse Award winner would not be denied, crossing the wire one length ahead with a final time of 1:49.15. The effort was awarded a 103 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, the third triple-digit number of his career.

Fierceness added to a strong résumé that includes wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Santa Anita and a 13 1/2-length trouncing of the Florida Derby (G1) in March at Gulfstream Park. He boasts a lifetime record of 7: 4-0-1 with $1,978,850.

Pletcher also celebrated a win Saturday at the Spa with Siena Farm and WinStar Farm’s Speak Easy, who ran his record to 2-for-2 when he captured race 4, a six-furlong allowance for 3-year-olds and up.

The talented son of Constitution had not been seen since the Fountain of Youth (G2) in March at Gulfstream Park, where he got loose before the race and was scratched. He made his much anticipated return Saturday, his first start since a Jan. 27 graduation in a key race that included subsequent Grade 3-winner and Jim Dandy third Batten Down and stakes winner Corporate Power.

Speak Easy pounced from 5 1/2 lengths off the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr. on Saturday, showing a strong turn of foot in the final eighth to sweep past his rivals and post the 2 1/4-length victory. He was awarded a 97 Beyer for the effort.

“I thought that was a very good comeback,” Pletcher said. “Six (furlongs) might be a little short for him, but he seemed to handle it very well, put himself in a good spot and finished up nicely.”

Speak Easy is out of the dual graded-stakes-placed Harlan’s Holiday mare Fun, a half-sister to stakes winner Home Run Maker.