This year's $750,000 Alysheba Stakes (G2) drew a field of six, but owner Mike Repole is billing the Kentucky Oaks day undercard race at Churchill Downs as "a heavyweight title fight" between two multiple grade 1 winners—his Fierceness and Todd Pletcher stablemate Locked.
No one is arguing with him.
"They're both two super horses and just fortunate to have them both," Pletcher said. "Hopefully, they both get good trips and see how it shakes out."
The 22nd Alysheba, named for the 1987 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, is for older horses at a mile and a sixteenth.
Repole's post on X touted the matchup with a bended-arm muscle-pose emoji. Pletcher said the fight analogy was Repole's call.
In one figurative corner, Fierceness will make his 4-year-old debut. The champion 2-year-old male of 2023 will make his first start since a second-place finish in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). That capped a year with three graded wins, including grade 1 scores in the Florida Derby and Travers Stakes.
Meanwhile, in the other figurative corner, Locked, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, enters off an 8 1/2-length win in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). Locked posted his first grade 1 win in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland as a juvenile then finished third to Fierceness in that year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).
Locked will enter Friday's race with victories in three of his past four starts.
Pletcher had not planned a showdown of the stablemates but it ended up being the best spot for each. Fans will welcome the showcase of two top older runners in what is shaping up as an impressive handicap division in 2025.
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"We've kind of been a little bit undecided on where everyone's going," Pletcher said. "Earlier in the year we'd given some consideration to Saudi (Arabia) and Dubai for Locked, but decided to stay home. And we'd also given some consideration to the Oaklawn Handicap, but ultimately decided on the Alysheba.
"Originally, we were pointing Fierceness for the Westchester, but then this race looked like it was coming up a little bit light in numbers."
With Fierceness, Pletcher said, "There's kind of two different trains of thought. What's going to be a tougher race to come back in—a mile and a sixteenth with what should be a little bit of an easier early pace? Or a mile race, one-turn, that might be a little bit of a hotter pace? You just never know how some of those things are going to unfold. But, like I said, we're just happy to have both horses and hope both get a clean run at it."
Four others will try to make "battle royal"—with more than two fighters—the better pugilistic analogy.
Gary and Mary West's 4-year-old Most Wanted makes his second start of the year after finishing second in the Challenger Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. Last year the son of Candy Ride posted Ellis Park and Oklahoma (G3) derby wins before a second-place finish in the Clark Stakes (G2) at Churchill.
"We really like our horse," Most Wanted's trainer Brad Cox said. "He's always showed up and put in a big effort. He's very talented, obviously, as a half to (multiple grade 1 winner) Life Is Good. ... This is a tall task, but we got a good run underneath his belt at Tampa, and we've been pointing for this race since. Obviously, two proven grade 1 multiple winners we have to face, but we'll see if we're up to the task."
Hall of Fame was on the Triple Crown trail last year in Louisiana before returning on closing day of the Churchill fall meet to score a second career win. Since then, the son of Gun Runner , who is trained by Steve Asmussen for partners associated with Coolmore, has made three starts this year with wins in an allowance optional claimer and the Mineshaft Stakes (G3) and a second in the New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2), all at Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots.
Longshots Katonah, winner of the San Pasqual Stakes (G2), and This Is Uscar, who has a win and a second in two races on the main track at Churchill Downs, complete the field.
Churchill Downs, Friday, May 2, 2025, Race 6Entries: Alysheba S. presented by Sentient Jet (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Katonah (KY) Antonio Fresu 120 Doug F. O'Neill 20/1 2 2Locked (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 123 Todd A. Pletcher 2/1 3 3Hall of Fame (KY) Joel Rosario 120 Steven M. Asmussen 4/1 4 4Fierceness (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Todd A. Pletcher 6/5 5 5Most Wanted (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Brad H. Cox 7/2 6 6This Is Uscar (KY) Edgar Morales 118 Jordan Blair 30/1
