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Horse For Course Firenze Fire Scores in Vosburgh

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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Princess Noor Cruises To Third Consecutive Victory In Chandelier

Zedan Racing Stables' unbeaten Princess Noor stretched out to two turns for the first time in her third career starts, making short work of her four rivals in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., on Saturday.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, the Bob Baffert-trained daughter of freshman sire Not This Time won by 8 1/4 lengths, covering 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:45.59 and paying $2.40 as the heavy favorite. Varda completed a Baffert-exacta, finishing second ahead of Miss Costa Rica, with Illumination fourth and Make Mischief trailing the field.

This was Baffert's 12th win in the Chandelier, formerly known as the Oak Leaf Stakes.

The Chandelier is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, giving an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Juvenile Fillies to the winner.

Breaking from the rail, Espinoza allowed Princess Noor to settle in just behind another Baffert runner, Illumination, who took the field through early fractions of :23.51, :48.28 and 1:12.95 for the opening six furlongs.

Princess Noor shifted to the outside approaching the far turn, quickly put away Illumination on the turn for home and cruised to the wire in hand after a mile fractional time of 1:45.59.

Bred in Kentucky by International Equities Holding Inc., Princess Noor was purchased for $1,350,000 at the OBS April Sale of 2-year-olds in training earlier this year.

“The talent, the energy, the speed!” Espinoza said. “She dominated everyone with the energy she created during the race and I had a lot of confidence in her. Bob knows how to train his horses. She's really kind, and she doesn't need much. She does everything on her own, I'm just the pilot trying to find a way to have a little room to let her run and stretch her legs. It's so easy to ride these types of horses.

“It's my job to ride her with confidence, because I know she was the best filly in the race and I had to ride her like she was the best filly in the race.

“She reminds me of other great horses I used to ride like American Pharoah and California Chrome. The talent is there, we just have to let them be happy around the racetrack. I've been riding amazing horses, but as a filly, she's the best one I've ever ridden.

“It takes a team to have an amazing horse like this. It creates better energy when you have a good team. When all the team is happy and working together and pushing forward, things work out much better.”

Said Baffert: “I talked to Victor (Espinoza) before and I talked to all my riders I told them, 'Just ride your races'. When you are in the one hole they usually don't break as well but I think Victor rode her with a lot of confidence. He's been on enough good horses and he knows. He took his time and I saw the other filly (Illumination) go to the lead and they just rode their own race.

“I saw Victor get behind and I saw that nice move before the three-eighths and you can only do that when you have a Ferrari under you. Turning for home I was one-two-three and I thought, 'This is a nice feeling'. I was hoping the other one (Illumination) would have held on for third.

“This filly is just incredible and very talented. I don't train her as hard and I run her into shape. You never know if they can go two turns until they do it and it looks like that's not going to be a problem.

“This was perfect for her. If you don't have the clientele behind you its hard to get a filly like this but she was just a knock-out, she was something else.”

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Princess Noor Lights ‘Em Up in Chandelier

The GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies will go through unbeaten ‘TDN Rising Star’ Princess Noor (Not This Time) following a third straight tour-de-force victory in Saturday’s GII Chandelier S. at Santa Anita.

Making her two-turn debut following an eye-catching debut win at Del Mar Aug. 22 and runaway score in the GI Del Mar Debutante S. Sept. 6, the $1.35-million OBS Spring topper wasn’t the quickest away from her rail draw beneath Victor Espinoza.

She rode the rail into the first turn, but was no better than third. Princess Noor did not appear completely at ease being stuck down inside, but she jumped into the bridle when taken out into the three path, quickly making progress to sit second into the final turn.

She easily claimed the front-runner with about five-sixteenths of a mile to race and was not asked for her best in strolling through the final 100 yards en route to an 8 1/4-length victory. Stablemate Varda (Distorted Humor) was second.

Princess Noor provided Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with his record 12th Chandelier victory.

“When you are in the one hole, they usually don’t break as well, but I think Victor rode her with a lot of confidence,” Baffert said. “He’s been on enough good horses and he knows. This filly is just incredible and very talented. I don’t train her as hard and I run her into shape. You never know if they can go two turns until they do and it looks like that’s not going to be a problem.”

Princess Noor drew high praise from her rider as well.

“She reminds me of other great horses I used to ride like American Pharoah and California Chrome,” Espinoza said. “The talent is there, we just have to let them be happy around the racetrack. I’ve been riding amazing horses, but as a filly, she’s the best one I’ve ever ridden.”

Pedigree Notes:

It’s a contentious race between the top three freshman sires of 2020, with each sporting two black-type winners to date and their earnings all within range of each other. Not This Time, a son of Giant’s Causeway, leads the list by individual winners with 11 and has two undefeated stakes winners in Princess Noor and Dirty Dangle, who won last week’s Woodbine Cares S., plus the Grade III-placed Hopeful Princess.

Princess Noor made headlines before she even ran as Not This Time’s most expensive sales horse to date when she brought $1.35 million at OBS this spring (:20 1/5), but Not This Time hasn’t done badly in this curtailed yearling sales season either, with 32 sold this year in North America for an average of $135,504 on a $15,000 stud fee. Princess Noor was previously a $135,000 KEESEP yearling.

Princess Noor is out of the 2014 GIII Senorita S. winner Sheza Smoke Show, who has a yearling colt named Protonic Power (Protonico) and delivered a filly by Tapwrit this year. She was bred back to Protonico for 2021. International Equities Holding purchased Sheza Smoke Show, carrying Princess Noor, for $185,000 at the 2017 KEENOV sale.

For a recent profile on breeder Oussama Aboughazale’s International Equities Holding’s operation from Jessica Martini, click here.

Saturday, Santa Anita
CHANDELIER S.-GII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 9-26, 2yo, f,
1 1/16m, 1:45.59, ft.
1–PRINCESS NOOR, 122, f, 2, by Not This Time
                1st Dam: Sheza Smoke Show (GSW, $150,644), by Wilko
                2nd Dam: Avery Hall, by A. P Jet
                3rd Dam: Royal Form, by Dynaformer
‘TDN Rising Star‘ ($135,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP; $1,350,000 2yo
’20 OBSAPR). O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-International
Equities Holding, Inc. (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Victor Espinoza.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $303,000. Werk Nick
Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Varda, 122, f, 2, Distorted Humor–She’ll Be Right, by Sky
Mesa. ($100,000 Ylg ’19 SARAUG; $700,000 2yo ’20 OBSAPR).
O-Baoma Corporation; B-Masters 2013 LLC & Distorted Humor
Syndicate (NY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Miss Costa Rica, 122, f, 2, Hit It a Bomb–Five Star Daydream,
by Five Star Day. ($95,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo ’20
OBSMAR). O-Carroll Boys Racing, Sayjay Racing LLC, Jerry
McClanahan & Richard Baltas; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY);
T-Richard Baltas. $24,000.
Margins: 8 1/4, 9 1/4, NK. Odds: 0.20, 6.20, 9.30.
Also Ran: Illumination, Make Mischief. 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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Pletcher-Trained Happy Saver Targeting Jockey Club Gold Cup; Dr Post To Be Freshened

Wertheimer and Frere's undefeated stakes winner Happy Saver and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes runner-up Dr Post will both bypass next Saturday's Grade 1 Preakness for trainer Todd Pletcher, with the conditioner saying the former of the two will target the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on October 10 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Happy Saver, by Super Saver, graduated on June 20 at Belmont and followed with a nine-furlong allowance score on July 26 at Saratoga ahead of a driving 1 1/2-length score last out in the nine-furlong Federico Tesio on September 7 at Pimlico.

He worked a bullet five eighths in 1:01.09 Friday on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga. Pletcher said extra time between races will benefit the lightly raced Happy Saver.

“I was happy with his work yesterday and I just decided I like the extra week and it looks to be a shorter field here,” said Pletcher. “He's done everything we've asked of him so far. It's pretty hard to win your first three races at three different tracks and stretch out to win a stakes at a mile and an eighth. He's been very impressive and we're happy with his development.”

Last year, the Pletcher-trained Vino Rosso crossed the wire first in the Jockey Club Gold Cup but was demoted to second after a rugged stretch run with Code of Honor, who was elevated to victory. Vino Rosso exited that effort to win the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

A win by Happy Saver would provide Pletcher with his first Jockey Club Gold Cup score.

“The Jockey Club has been a frustrating race for us. We've had some tough losses and last year's was especially tough but it was a great stepping stone to a great win in the Classic, so it would be fun to win it,” said Pletcher.

Pletcher said he preferred not to look too far into the future for Happy Saver with regard to a potential start in the Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7 at Keeneland.

“One race at a time,” said Pletcher.

Pletcher said St Elias Stable's multiple graded-stakes placed Dr Post, who finished fourth last out in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on September 5 at the Spa, is enjoying some downtime at WinStar Farm in Kentucky.

“We sent him to Kentucky to give him a little bit of a freshening. He'll get some turn out time at WinStar and join us back in Florida in December,” said Pletcher.

The Quality Road colt graduated at second asking in March at Gulfstream Park ahead of a score in the 1 1/16-mile Unbridled at the Hallandale Beach oval. After completing the exacta in the Belmont Stakes, Dr Post was a distant third in the Grade 1 Haskell won by eventual Grade 1 Kentucky Derby champ Authentic.

Pletcher will be well represented in the Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Derby Invitational, a 10-furlong turf test for sophomores offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf, in which he will saddle Farmington Road and No Word with Mo Ready also under consideration for the October 3 tilt.

“We're looking at the Belmont Derby for all three. It's a good opportunity for 3-year-olds on the turf,” said Pletcher.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Chrysalis Stables and Robert LaPenta, Farmington Road rallied from last-of-five to capture a Colonial Downs allowance route last out on July 29 in his turf debut.

Wertheimer and Frere's No Word, a dark bay son of Silent Name, boasts a record of two wins and three thirds from six career starts all on turf. The dark bay closed to finish third last out in the Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 15 at the Spa, defeated a half-length to victorious Domestic Spending.

Repole Stable's Mo Ready, a New York homebred son of Uncle Mo, boasts a record of 7-2-1-1 and captured a one-mile state-bred turf allowance last out on August 15 at Saratoga.

Harrell Ventures' Halladay made the grade with a sparkling performance last out in the Grade 1 Fourstardave on August 22 at Saratoga that garnered a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

The 4-year-old War Front colt breezed a half-mile in 48.75 Friday on the Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile on October 3 at Keeneland.

“The breeze went well. He's doing great and will ship out on Monday for the Shadwell Mile,” said Pletcher. “He ran so well in the Fourstardave we wanted to give the race there at Keeneland a try and give him a race over the course. Hopefully, it will be a good stepping stone to the Breeders' Cup Mile.

The ultra-consistent grey boasts a record of 14-6-2-4 with purse earnings of $517,485.

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