Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior), just a nose shy in a heart-stopping renewal of the GII Vosburgh S. last year, contested then as a Grade I, continued his love affair with Belmont Park in this 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland.
Firenze Fire sat a stalking trip in second through an opening quarter in :22.33, made his move at the leader as they stacked up four across the track past the quarter pole, and kicked home nicely to punch his ticket to Lexington. Favored Funny Guy (Big Brown) was second.
Previously campaigned by indicted former trainer Jason Servis, Firenze Fire's Belmont Park highlight reel also includes wins in the 2017 GI Champagne S., 2018 GIII Dwyer S. and this term's GII True North S. June 27.
He made four prior starts for Kelly Breen in 2020, following his win in the True North with a respectable fourth behind the brilliant Volatile (Violence) in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. July 25 and an 11th-place finish in a heavy downpour in a sloppy renewal of the GI Forego S. Aug. 29.
“You can put a line through his last race and he really performed today,” Breen said. “He loves Belmont. We'll have to get him as used to Keeneland as he is to Belmont. I'll bring a couple of buckets from here and put it down the Keeneland stretch and bring our track to Keeneland. He's doing great. He looked great today and we're on to the Breeders' Cup [Sprint].”
Pedigree Notes:
Poseidon's Warrior is the sire of Firenze Fire and black-type winner Navy Commander. The son of Speightstown started his stud career at Pleasant Acres in Florida, moved to Darby Dan in Kentucky for 2019, and relocated once again to Equistar in Pennsylvania for 2020. Firenze Fire is one of 66 stakes winners out of Langfuhr mares, and those numbers include champion Proud Spell (Proud Citizen) and 2017 GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky). Dam My Every Wish is out of a full-sister to 2011 Broodmare of the Year Oatsee (Unbridled), whose five black-type winners include MGISW Shackleford (Forestry) and GISW Lady Joanne (Orientate). Firenze Fire was his dam's first foal, while her yearling, a colt named Just Leo, is a full-brother to the Vosburgh winner. Her colt born this year and already named Andiamo a Firenze is by Poseidon's Warrior's sire, Speightstown. My Every Wish was bred to Poseidon's Warrior for 2021.
Saturday, Belmont
VOSBURGH S.-GII, $145,500, Belmont, 9-26, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.74, ft.
1–FIRENZE FIRE, 124, h, 5, 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-Kelly J. Breen; J-Jose Lezcano.
$82,500. Lifetime Record: 29-12-3-2, $2,038,250. Werk Nick
Rating: A+ Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Funny Guy, 124, c, 4, Big Brown–Heavenly Humor, by
Distorted Humor. ($10,000 Ylg '17 EASOCT; $45,000 2yo '18
OBSAPR). O-Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable;
B-Hibiscus Stables (NY); T-John P. Terranova II. $30,000.
3–Share the Ride, 124, g, 5, Candy Ride (Arg)–Belle of the Hall,
by Graeme Hall. ($47,000 RNA Ylg '16 KEESEP; $175,000 2yo
'17 FTFMAR). O-Silvino Ramirez; B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY);
T-Antonio Arriaga. $18,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1 1/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 2.60, 1.90, 5.30.
Also Ran: True Timber, Engage. Scratched: Stan the Man. 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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