In Profile: Sierra Leone

By Peter Fornatale 

A champion, but also a nearly horse. A Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, but also victorious in just two of his last nine starts. Wonderfully consistent, but also rarely a winner. That’s Sierra Leone for you.

Of course, this isn’t something new. Before breaking through in the Classic at Del Mar last year, Sierra Leone had finished placed in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont, Jim Dandy and The Travers. But on the big day, with pace to run at, he proved just how good he was.

Ultimately, however, 2025 has been much of the same as 2024. One major high, but mostly frustration. Having his first run since landing the Breeder’s Cup Classic the previous November, Sierra Leone returned in another Classic, this time the somewhat lower-profile New Orleans Classic at the Fair Grounds in March.

He was likely to have needed the run to some degree but the betting public still sent him off long odds-on against some inferior rivals. Despite his edge in ability, Sierra Leone could only finish third, never looking like winning. Still last with a furlong to run, he did find his stride late to plug into third but basically looked rusty and was disappointing.

It was back to Churchill Downs next for the Stephen Foster where he once again filled the same runner-up spot he had in the Kentucky Derby. This was more like it, however, as Sierra Leone overcame a wide trip to finish strongly behind Mindframe, looking as though he could do with more pace to run at, as his effort briefly stalled at the top of the lane. Nevertheless, this run suggested he was building to something better and so it proved.

Facing old rival Fierceness in the Whitney, on this occasion Sierra Leone showed a bit more early speed to run at behind a well strung-out field and, coming through runners this time, began to make headway on the far turn. Swinging out into the middle of the track to launch his challenge, his face covered in dirt, he found plenty down the middle of the track to dispatch Highland Falls.

With his confidence up and back in winning form, Sierra Leone was sent off favourite for the Jockey Club Gold Cup but once again proved frustrating and could only finish second. In fairness, fate conspired against him on this occasion, as Irad Ortiz was unshipped from Sierra Leon’s Stephen Foster conqueror Mindframe just after the start. Sierra Leone had to hurdle the stricken rider and as a result end up far, far back and wide, doing remarkably well to be beaten just 1.5 lengths in the end. It’s easy to say he would have won without the inconvenience at the start, but this is Sierra Leone, so maybe not.

In fairness, this is a really cool horse who basically always runs his race and deserves to land another big prize. Whether it will be this year’s Classic is likely to boil down to the early pace and just how good Sovereignty is, but you can be pretty sure that Sierra Leone is going to fire his best shot, as he pretty much always does.

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