Fierceness easily defeated 2-5 favorite Journalism in a highly anticipated clash between the 4-year-old star and this year's Preakness Stakes winner in the $1 million Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes Aug. 30 at Del Mar.

Fierceness broke from the rail and was held up behind the leaders after swerving just after the start, but jockey John Velazquez made a bold move between horses after the leaders went six furlongs in 1:10.26 to take charge of the race.

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Trained by Todd Pletcher, Fierceness hit the mile marker in 1:35.70 and opened up on the lead turning for home. Three-year-old Journalism was last early under Umberto Rispoli, then made a move and had the leader in his sights through the stretch but was unable to make up ground and settled for a clear second-place finish in his first start against older horses. Fierceness completed the 1 1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:01.00. He paid $5.20 to win.

The Del Mar crowd of 13,432 expected to see a battle between local hero Journalism, East Coast invader Fierceness, and Bob Baffert's star 4-year-old Nysos, but Nysos was scratched the morning of the race because of a bruised hind foot.

Fierceness often sets the pace or sits just off of it. In this race he raced tucked into fourth on the rail.

"We got bottled up in behind horses. It looked like he was trapped," Pletcher said. "I thought Johnny made a great decision when he split horses and let him make his move a little bit early."

Fierceness took the lead, but the race was far from over because Journalism was beginning his run. Journalism passed the others and took aim at Fierceness in the stretch but by then, Fierceness had built up a daylight lead, leaving Journalism with plenty of work to do. The younger rival never gave up, but it simply was too much to ask. Fierceness expanded his lead to 3 1/4 lengths at the wire.

Journalism was much the best of the others with a 6 1/2-length margin over third-place finisher Ultimate Gamble.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez abiard Fierceness. (BENOIT photo)

Fierceness earned a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with his victory. The Pacific Classic mirrors the distance and surface of the Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be conducted at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Last year, when the Breeders' Cup was also held at Del Mar, Fierceness finished second to Sierra Leone, who caught him in the stretch.

"We felt like when he ran at Del Mar in the Breeders' Cup Classic that he ran a winning race," Pletcher said. "He just was involved in fractions that were a little too fast and couldn't sustain it at that distance. But we felt that he liked the surface."

Fierceness races for Derrick Smith, Mike Repole's Repole Stable, Michael Tabor, and Mrs. John Magnier. Pletcher said that he watched the race with Repole at Repole's home in Saratoga. Fierceness, who most recently finished fifth in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes Aug. 2 at Saratoga, could have stayed at Saratoga for the Aug. 31 Jockey Club Gold Cup, but his connections decided to ship him to Del Mar.

Pletcher said the plan now calls for Fierceness to ship back to New York Sept. 3, where Pletcher's team will prepare him for the Breeders' Cup, most likely without another prep race.

Fierceness won for the seventh time in 13 starts, raising his lifetime earnings to $5,155,320.