At this point, I just don’t understand the infatuation.
Each year it’s the same thing. Chad Brown enters the Derby trail, with a big, gorgeous, late running colt that wins or runs well in a couple preps, but never capitalize on that potential in the Kentucky Derby or subsequent races.
In 2022, the racing pundits raved about the gorgeous, beautiful moving Zandon. He was supposedly Chad Brown’s best chance at winning the Kentucky Derby after he trounced his Blue Grass Stakes rivals. That didn’t happen, and in fact, Zandon only managed to win one of his next 10 subsequent starts.
A couple years later, and here we are again. Not the same pony, but the same old tricks. Sierra Leone has seemingly cast a spell on his followers that blinds them to all reason. Like Zandon, he romped in the Blue Grass, but fell short in the Derby, a race that was supposed to give him the best pace set up and all the distance he could ask for. But, oh wait, he had a wide trip and that drifting just cost him. You know… if only he could just run straight… Funny that didn’t stop him in the Blue Grass.
When the entries for the Belmont came out, it was the same thing, only this would be his redemption. He had five weeks rest, the new bit would fix that bad drifting habit, and with the pace likely to be fast, he should have the perfect setup and would “relish” the distance. Apparently betters felt the same way, as he was bet below 2-1, a clear favorite. After flattening out in the stretch, the son of Gun Runner finished 1 ½ lengths back in third.
You would think that the Belmont would start to bring some realization to people, but nope. Especially with trainer Chad Brown saying that he thought he just may need more time between races. That obviously meant that Sierra Leone was just tired in the Belmont and would route his opponents in the next start… which happened to be the Jim Dandy stakes, seven weeks removed from the Belmont.
Despite losing his last two starts after receiving the perfect set up, Sierra Leone was the odds on betting choice as they entered the starting gate, going off at 4 to 5. This was despite the fact he was facing the Preakness winner Seize the Grey, and Florida Derby winner Fierceness, who after his Kentucky Derby loss, was due for a win if you subscribe to his win/loss/win pattern. There was also the Ohio Derby winner, Batten Down. But, apparently, this was going to be the race for Sierra Leone. He was primed and ready, and yet again, looked to have a promising pace set up.
Can you guess what happened? Yup. That’s right… he came up just short again. He got that pace to run at, and even got to save some ground as Fierceness drifted out on the far turn, leaving a large gap for him. It was the perfect set up, only for him to fizzle. Don’t you just hate it when that happens? Especially because it was Fierceness who beat him, and eww. Who likes Fierceness?
At this point, I would think people would finally start seeing the light, that Sierra Leone is Zandon 2.0. I said this months ago, but sometimes people just need a little bit more proof before they believe. After three consecutive starts that gave him the perfect setups, only for him to flatten out in the lane, I would think the proof in the pudding would be pretty obvious.
Apparently not.
Somehow people are convinced that come the Travers Stakes, Sierra Leone will trounce his opponents, because he will love the distance and have a great pace setup. Ok… But didn’t we hear this same thing for the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes??? The latter literally coming over the same distance and same track as the Travers Stakes, a race that will also likely feature the two horses that beat him in the Belmont Stakes, plus a few new and very talented faces.
Look, I’m not saying that Sierra Leone is a bad horse. I’m just saying I don’t understand the hype or infatuation, especially at this point. Half the time he literally causes his own problems, and even in races that he doesn’t, he still winds up falling short. To me, it is obvious. Yes, he can capitalize on fast pace, but like most other closers, if those pace setters don’t come back, his stretch kick is neutralized by the fact he has to use so much starch just to get in striking distance around the far turn. When they reach the stretch, he’s entirely dependent on the leader getting leg weary to the point that he can catch them.
That worked in the Blue Grass when it was Top Connor and Just a Touch. But, we’ve seen that when he’s against top notch speed that doesn’t come back, like Mindframe, Dornoch, and Fierceness on his good days, Sierra Leone just doesn’t have the juice to get by.
Despite all this the excuses just keep rolling in. The latest excuse from Chad Brown was that the inside may have been a bit too wet, and maybe that weakened his stretch kick. Yeah, ok, lets go with that.
I get being a fan of a horse, but most of the time, even fans will admit that they are rooting from their heart rather than using any logical handicapping angle. That isn’t the case with Sierra Leone fans. It’s literally the same thing after every race. He loses, they say, he’ll get them next time because he’ll get that pace and love that distance, ignoring the fact he’s had those things his last three starts.
You know, doing the same thing over and over, while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. It might be time to admit that Sierra Leone just isn’t as good as he was hyped to be during the Kentucky Derby trail.
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