Champion Sierra Leone Set for Return at Fair Grounds

After a foot abscess prevented champion 3-year-old male Sierra Leone from running in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1), he appears set to make his 4-year-old debut March 22 in the $500,000 New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The Gun Runner colt hasn't run since his 1 1/2-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Trainer Chad Brown disclosed the abscess Feb. 5 and announced Sierra Leone would not be traveling for a planned start in Saudi Arabia. Sierra Leone returned to the Payson Park Training Center work tab Feb. 15 and has recorded five half-mile moves—all with perfect, seven-day spacing—ending with a :49 4/5 breeze March 15. "We chose this spot for a couple reasons," Brown said. "The horse is ready to run now, so I didn't want to wait another month and keep training him. Number two, he already has a win over the track. It all just made sense, so he's ready to go." Sierra Leone again will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who took over riding duties after a second-place finish in the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs. Never worse than third in nine lifetime starts, Sierra Leone has won four times and earned more than $6 million. Saturday's 1 1/8-mile dirt race drew a good field of 10 4-year-olds and up, but if they all run to their previous best, there will be no beating Sierra Leone, who was assigned high weight of 124 pounds. It would not be a surprise if the connections of some of the runners scratch in favor of easier spots. “(Sierra Leone) is a very classy horse,” Brown said. “Very intelligent and just a real pleasure to be around. Overall he’s a very rare horse. Great mover on the track. Tons of ability. Very much a leader of the pack kind of horse. When you go to the track, everybody is going to fall behind him. He has a bit of an aura around him. I feel very fortunate that me and my team have this horse in our barn.” Foremost among his competition is Mineshaft Stakes (G3) winner Hall of Fame. Like Sierra Leone, Hall of Fame is a 4-year-old by Gun Runner, and the two colts share nearly identical ownership. Brook T. Smith plus Coolmore partners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg are in on both horses. Peter Brant is a co-owner of Sierra Leone while Gandharvi is unique to the Hall of Fame partnership. They even sold at the same auction, the 2022 edition of the Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale. Sierra Leone cost $2.3 million while Hall of Fame was hammered down at $1.4 million. But there are differences. Hall of Fame is a tactical speed type, while Sierra Leone has been a dedicated stretch-runner. Hall of Fame is trained by Steve Asmussen, who no doubt thought he had a classic contender last year after Hall of Fame broke his maiden by 10 1/4 lengths Jan. 20, 2024, at Fair Grounds. Subsequent up-the-track finishes in the Risen Star Stakes (G2)—won by Sierra Leone—and Louisiana Derby (G2) brought an end to his Triple Crown aspirations, but Hall of Fame is back on track, undefeated in three starts since returning Dec. 1. The top three from the Mineshaft return in the entries. Komorebino Omoide (JPN), a 5-year-old Japanese-bred son of two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome, finished second, beaten by just a head in the Mineshaft. The Robertino Diodoro trainee will race without blinkers Saturday. Third-place Maycocks Bay, a Godolphin homebred, also entered back but he is one of four who are cross-entered in other races. A second Godolphin homebred—Kinetic, winner of an overnight stakes Jan. 25 at Oaklawn Park—is more likely for the $500,000 Essex Stakes (G3) on the same day at Oaklawn Park. Both Godolphin horses plus Southern California shipper Tarantino are cross-entered in the Essex. Louisiana-bred speedster and $1 million earner Touchuponastar is cross-entered in the March 23 Star Guitar Stakes, a $100,000 Louisiana-bred stakes named after the 14-time winner's sire. If Kinetic goes to Oaklawn, trainer Brad Cox still has the talented, lightly raced 5-year-old Bishops Bay in the New Orleans. The grade 3-placed Uncle Mo horse owned by a partnership headed by Spendthrift Farm has a record of four wins and three seconds from seven lifetime starts. The field is completed by San Siro, an impressive second-level allowance winner Feb. 1 at Fair Grounds, and Florida shipper Uno Mas Bourbon, last year's Super Derby winner who goes second off the layoff after a useful-looking prep at Gulfstream Park for trainer Ian Wilkes.