Sierra Leone rallied past Fierceness in the final stretch to win the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday, expunging the memory of Kentucky Derby disappointment.

The colt trained by Chad Brown had been pipped at the wire by Mystik Dan at Churchill Downs in May, but finished off his three-year-old season in style at Del Mar in California.

Japan's Forever Young was third while European hopeful City of Troy struggled in his first race on dirt and left Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien still seeking a Classic win after 18 attempts.