Firenze Fire had hovered around 6-1 or 7-1 for much of the betting cycle leading up to this event, but he was pounded in the final moments down to 5-2 and the late money proved quite prescient as his connections scored a second graded win in a matter of minutes on the heels of Vision Perfect (Pollard's Vision)'s score in the GIII Parx Dash. Breaking alertly, the bay was reined in by Irad Ortiz, Jr. to sit in fifth as Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy) and Mendelssohn knocked heads early through swift splits. Still handled very confidently as he ranged up out wide heading for home, Firenze Fire blew past G2 UAE Derby winner Mendelssohn like he was glued to the quarter pole before running up the score in a jaw-dropping performance.
“I got a perfect trip,” Ortiz said. “We got a good post and he broke sharp. He was ready today, it was a big performance. Coming in, I just wanted to ride my race. Let him settle at first and then let him finish. In preparation for the race, we worked with him to gallop out and finish strong. To relax early and finish strong and it worked out good.”
Firenze Fire invaded from Monmouth last summer to upend the GIII Sanford S. at Saratoga before defeating subsequent
GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and champion Good Magic (Curlin) two starts later in the track-and-trip GI Champagne S. Oct. 7. Far back at the Breeders' Cup, he returned to winning ways over Seven Trumpets going this trip in Aqueduct's Jan. 13 Jerome S. He was second going nine panels in the GIII Withers S. Feb. 3, fourth in the GIII Gotham S. Mar. 10 and fourth again in the GII Wood Memorial S., however. He was 11th in the GI Kentucky Derby last out, but his trainer Jason Servis had been hitting at a near 50% clip at the Belmont meet from a significant sample leading up to this.
“That was great,” said Servis, who also took Friday's State Dinner S. with Sunny Ridge (Holy Bull). “I've been dying to cut him back, just dying. We thought he'd run good… We got on the [Kentucky] Derby trail, like you're supposed to do. Do we think he's a mile and a quarter horse? Probably not. But, now we're getting him where he needs to be, a mile, seven eighths, where he might even be a tad sharper. I mean, it all worked out. We're all real happy.”
Servis said the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. Aug. 25 at Saratoga would be a likely next target.
Pedigree Notes:
Saturday was also a productive day for young sire Poseidon's Warrior, who was responsible for front-running Long Branch S. winner Navy Commander at Monmouth. Firenze Fire has a yearling filly named Firenze Freedom but his dam lost her Fast Anna filly this term.
Saturday, Belmont Park
DWYER S.-GIII, $300,000, Belmont, 7-7, 3yo, 1m, 1:33.74, ft.
1–FIRENZE FIRE, 123, c, 3, by Poseidon's Warrior
1st Dam: My Every Wish, by Langfuhr
2nd Dam: Mille Lacs, by Unbridled
3rd Dam: With Every Wish, by Lear Fan
O/B-Mr Amore Stables (FL); T-Jason Servis; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$165,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 11-5-1-0, $834,100.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”florida-breds-ftboa”][bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”]2–Seven Trumpets, 118, c, 3, Morning Line–Angel Trumpet, by
Cape Canaveral. ($45,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $205,000 2yo '17
OBSAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds; B-St. George Farm,
LLC (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $60,000.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”]3–Mendelssohn, 123, c, 3, Scat Daddy–Leslie's Lady, by Tricky
Creek. ($3,000,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Michael B. Tabor, Mrs.
John Magnier & Derrick Smith; B-Clarkland Farm (KY); T-Aidan
P. O'Brien. $36,000.[bullet ad=”clarkland-bredraisedsold”][bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 9, HF, 4. Odds: 2.75, 10.20, 1.50.
Also Ran: Rugbyman, Seahenge, Fixedincome Larry, Noble Indy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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