Though Peter Brant, one of many co-owners of Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic winner Sierra Leone, expressed his want 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 Basic, stated the companions within the 3-year-old colt, which incorporates him, Brant, and Coolmore Stud-affiliated house owners, 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 stated 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 simple choice – is OK, let’s go to the (breeding) shed, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly price having a dialog about as a result of he’s sound, knock on wooden, and he appears to be like like he’s simply now sort of maturing, coming into his personal. So he may very simply sort 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, through which he gained the Clark Handicap and different races, had an much more rewarding marketing campaign at age 4. That 12 months in 2017, he gained 4 Grade 1s, topped by the Breeders’ Cup Basic en path to Horse of the Yr honors.
He additionally made one begin as a 5-year-old, successful 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 at the moment, by way of 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 supplies 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, nonetheless, would require forgoing the 2025 breeding season with a extremely beneficial horse. Sierra Leone is deemed as the total package deal. In addition to being by Gun Runner, the Debby Oxley-bred colt is out of the Grade 1-winning Malibu Moon mare Heavenly Love.
His appears to be like, pedigree, and racing potential are why his house owners went to $2.3 million to purchase him from Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale in 2022.
Sierra Leone’s house owners at the moment had been betting on him creating right into a stallion – and along with his achievements, that may sooner or later change into a actuality. His worth now far exceeds his preliminary eye-catching worth.
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 house owners in addition to Smith had been at Del Mar when Smith spoke to the media throughout a chosen time for day-after images and press entry.
“Every thing’s all good,” assistant coach Baldo Hernandez stated 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 stated the Bottom Studying Middle earned $58,000 from his share in Sierra Leone’s earnings by way of the Purses for Function program through which he participates. Smith donates 10% of his secure’s earnings to the BLC. He additionally stated he has a “ticket price $30,000” he plans to offer to the award-winning non-profit.
Fierceness To Keep In Coaching
As introduced final month, Coolmore has secured the breeding rights to Breeders’ Cup Basic runner-up Fierceness, having entered right into a cope with proprietor Mike Repole of Repole Secure after the colt gained the 2023 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Offered by TAA.
Repole indicated in a submit 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 submit 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 convey again Fierceness subsequent 12 months with the objective of being the perfect 4-year-old on this planet! The final word objective for Fierceness is to return again to Del Mar and handle some unfinished enterprise and win the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Basic,” 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 instructed Breeders’ Cup publicity on Sunday. “Appears to be like good this morning. He’s going to go to Kentucky tomorrow and goes to get a whole bodily. At present, the plan can be for him to go on to Palm Seashore Downs from there and put together for a 4-year-old marketing campaign.”
