Larry Demeritte

GI Florida Derby champ Fierceness (City of Light) breezed at Palm Beach Downs on Friday morning in preparation for the GI Kentucky Derby. The Eclipse Award winner covered five furlongs in 1:00.35 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, while working in company with fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road). "I thought he worked super--a solid five-eighths with a good gallop-out, exactly what we were targeting," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. "I think he is doing every bit as good, if not better, than he was...

Veteran trainer Larry Demeritte stayed vigilant through the very end of last year's Keeneland September Sale, taking a close look at every yearling going through the ring during the final session. With less than 20 hips to go, when most buyers were long gone and many consignments were already packed up, he raised his hand on Hip 4146. Coming in with a winning bid of $11,000 for the son of Exaggerator, Demeritte signed the ticket for his longtime client Harry Veruchi. "I stay at the sale and look at every...

With five previous starts under his belt, Harry Veruchi's West Saratoga (Exaggerator) was the most experienced of the eight 2-year-old males signed on for Saturday's GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs. But whereas he made all of the running in breaking his maiden when tried over a mile for the first time at Ellis Park Aug. 5, the gray colt was taken off a furious early pace this time and proved the chief beneficiary, earning 10 points on the Road to the 2024 Kentucky Derby in the process. An $11,000...