Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Fierceness Allowed Repole to Have Quite the Party After Pacific Classic Win

Wandering Eyes · August 31

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Early Sunday afternoon, Mike Repole wasn't sure if he had slept or not Saturday night.

“I might have taken a nap from 2 (a.m.) to 4,” Repole said in the Saratoga box seat area. “I am running high on adrenaline right now.”

Sixteen hours earlier, Repole, with 40 friends and family–including Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher–gathered at his Saratoga house and watched Fierceness (City of Light) overcome a world of trouble and still draw off to a 3 1/4-length win over GI Preakness Stakes winner and GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes runner-up Journalism (Curlin) in the $1-million GI Pacific Classic.

“Mike was pretty excited,” Pletcher said at his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track Sunday morning. “I got out of there at 11 (p.m.). If you had told me 9:15 (Pacific Classic) post, we were going to win and I would get out at 11, sign me up.”

A couple hours after Repole was rehashing Fierceness' win, things got sour as he watched his other top older horse–Mindframe (Constitution)–lose rider Irad Ortiz Jr. just after the start of the $1-million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. That was the end of his race.

Before the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Repole was approached by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott–who conditions Derby, Belmont and GI Travers Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief)–and accepted his congratulations for Fierceness. Ditto from trainer Chad Brown, who has GI Whitney Stakes champion Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), who was second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Fierceness shipped to California from Pletcher's Saratoga base last Wednesday. Pletcher said Sunday morning that Fierceness would fly back to Saratoga this Wednesday and, most likely stay here to train up to the $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2.

“We stayed here last year, and the weather cooperated, and we were able to get our final breezes in and then ship to California,” Pletcher said. “That is probably what I would like to do, but we have to keep some flexibility based on what the weather does.”

In the Pacific Classic, the Repole crew gasped at the start of the Pacific Classic when Fierceness, starting from the rail in the 1 1/4-mile race veered sharpy inward towards the rail, nearly losing his rider John Velazquez.

Almost speechless.

Fierceness had a historic and epic performance winning the G1 Pacific Classic @DelMarRacing

Watching this race as a fan in Saratoga with family and friends is why I fell in love with this game and why I still love this game!!!!!

This is why I decided to… pic.twitter.com/3OCPCq7Vqg

— Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) August 31, 2025

Velazquez showed why he is a Hall of Fame rider as he was able to get Fierceness back on track, but then found himself behind a wall of horses.

“I wasn't nervous until 10 seconds into the race,” Repole said. “Then I went from nervous to panic. I was like, 'oh my God, is he going to get hurt?' Then it was 'oh my God, the race is over!' Then it was 'oh my God, I shipped him to California. What a waste!' What an incredible job by Johnny. Nine out of 10 jockeys go down.”

Fierceness, who was accompanied to California by Pletcher's assistant Sophie Green, has now won two of four starts this year and has seven wins in 13 career starts.

“People have said that if things don't go his way, he doesn't run well,” Pletcher said. “Things didn't go his way yesterday–part of it was his fault for the mistake at the start. After that, he was bottled up behind horses and had to wait, split horses down the backside and overcome some adversity. Maybe this will quiet some of the skeptics.”

Repole wasn't going to be around too much longer on Sunday. He said he was flying to Europe Sunday night for a “half business, half wedding” trip.

His last impressions of being in Saratoga were half good, half not so good. Watching the Pacific Classic on television with friends and family was a highlight, watching Mindframe in the Jockey Club Gold Cup was not.

Baffert Hopeful That Buetane Comes Through Closing Day

When 2-year-old colt Buetane (Tiz the Law) broke his maiden at Del Mar on Aug. 3, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was in Saratoga.

When Buetane runs in Monday's $300,000 GI Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, Baffert will be at Del Mar.

“The first time he ran, I was landing in Saratoga for the [Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale],” Baffert said by phone from his base in California.

One of these days, he just might get to see one of his prized 2-year-olds run in person.

Buetane | Benoit

Buetane is in Saratoga because Baffert, as usual, has a plethora of promising youngsters. Buetane is owned by Zedan Racing Stables Inc. and Amr Zedan paid $1,150,000 for him at the 2025 Ocala Breeders Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training sale.

Zedan also owns the promising Brant, a $3-million purchase at the same sale. He broke his maiden by 5 1/4 lengths in July. Buetane romped to a 3 1/2-length score on Aug. 3. Both were tabbed 'TDN Rising Stars.'

Baffert wants to keep the two Zedan runners separated for now, so Buetane came east.

Buetane is the nickname of two-time World Series champion pitcher Walker Buehler, a friend of Baffert.

Baffert said that Buetane, who will be ridden by Flavien Prat, has always showed promise.

“They tip us off in the mornings and then they have to run in the afternoons,” Baffert said. “I think he has trained well. It looks like it is going to be a tough Hopeful. It's a good spot for him

Ned Toffey Has High Hopes for Ted Noffey

More than a few heads turned when a 2-year-old colt named Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) made his debut at Saratoga on Aug. 2. Part of the reason was because the colt, owned by Spendthrift Farm, was an impressive 1 1/2-length winner in his $100,000 maiden special weight, earning 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

The other was the name. If it sounds a lot like Ned Toffey, the general manager at Spendthrift, you're right. It does. The name came about after an inadvertent typo on a social media post.

Eric Gustavson, co-owner of Spendthrift, got wind of the mistake and thought it would be a cool name for a horse. And here he is. Ted Noffey.

He will take his next step on Monday when he runs in the $300,000 GI Hopeful Stakes, one of two horses Spendthrift has in the race. They also co-own Emphasis (Yaupon) along with Repole Stable.

Ted-Noffey-remote-08-02-2025-SA4_1354-PR

Ted Noffey | Sarah Andrew

Into Mischief and Yaupon stand at Spendthrift.

“When you break your maiden at Saratoga and do it in the solid fashion that he did it, it's easy to get optimistic,” Ned Toffey said. “But, at the same time, we are going in the Hopeful, and I guess I should say the Spendthrift Hopeful because we are sponsoring it for the first time!”

Ted Noffey (9-2 on the morning line) and Emphasis (12-1) are both trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. Ricardo Santana Jr. is named to ride Emphasis and Hall of Famer John Velazquez is on Ted Noffey.

Emphasis broke his maiden by a length, going nearly gate-to-wire at Saratoga on July 19.

“Both of them did what we asked them to do and this is kind of what you do now,” Pletcher said. “Go to a stakes. Hopefully, they can run well and keep moving forward and improve as they go along. That is what you need all of them to do.”