breeders' cup sprint | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Being A Homebred Means That Much More’: Lombardi’s Passion For Racing Stems From His Father

Owner/breeder Ron Lombardi will travel from New Jersey to South Florida this weekend to watch Firenze Fire run in Saturday's $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The President and CEO of SportsCare Physical Therapy centers in New York, New Jersey and Florida will bring with him a passion for Thoroughbred racing that goes back to his childhood days.

“We had a house in Long Branch, about a mile from the Monmouth. Every Friday night when I was 5-6 years old, we'd get in the car with my dad and uncles and drive from Long Branch to the park to wait for the train to come in so we could get the Telegraph hot off the presses, so they could handicap the night before,” Lombardi said. “Back then, you had to be 18 to get into the track, so me and my cousins would go to Monmouth and stand up against the fence to see the horses run by us. It was a lot of fun. It's been bred in me from way back. I really enjoy it.”

Like father, like son.

“My father had a horse in 1948, He had a heart attack and was told to take some time off from manual labor, so he bought a racehorse. He did that for about a year and a half with my mom. They traveled from Gulfstream to Garden State. They did the circuit and went to Monmouth and through Maryland,” Lombardi said. “The horse paid for them to live for a year and a half and then he went back to work.”

His success in the business world has enabled Lombardi to get involved in Thoroughbred ownership on a much larger scale since claiming his first horse in 2007. His Mr. Amore Stable LLC now has 30 horses in training, 11 yearlings-turning-2 and about 12 weanlings.

Firenze Fire, a homebred, certainly has helped to pay the bills for Lombardi's venture into Thoroughbred owning and breeding. The 5-year-old multiple graded-stakes winner has earned more than $2.2 million during a 30-race career that includes a start in the 2018 Kentucky Derby, a Grade 1 victory, and a third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland Nov. 7.

“Being a homebred means that much more. I buy a lot of horses at auction, but he's a homebred. What he's done is just fantastic — $2.2 million. He's such a solid horse and he always shows up,” Lombardi said. “Even in the Breeders' Cup, he was a [neck] away from second place. I lost him for a second – we were sitting up a ways from the finish line – and I look up and I saw some white silks cross third. I said, 'Oh, could that be us?' It was crazy.”

Firenze Fire is a 5-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior, a stallion who stands for $6,500, and My Every Wish, a mare who never raced again after being claimed by Lombardi out of a second-place finish in a $16,000 maiden claiming race. The offspring of the bargain-basement mating quickly became a Grade 1 winner in the 2017 Champagne (G1) at Belmont.

“That was a shock. He broke his maiden in June and won the Sanford. We ran in the Champagne and beating Good Magic was unbelievable,” Lombardi said. “He's just been a solid horse. He shows up and gives you everything he has. It's been a dream come true. I wish I had six more of him.”

While Firenze Fire may be a horse of a lifetime, Lombardi is hoping that My Every Wish will continue to be an overachieving broodmare.

“Firenze Freedom is a half-sister,” said Lombardi of the stakes-placed 3-year-old daughter of Istan. “I have a full brother that's in training right now. I have another one in the oven, so to speak, so we'll have another foal who's a 100-percent match. I also have a weanling by Speightstown.”

Lombardi is looking forward to standing Firenze Fire at stud, most likely in New York.

“I was contemplating – depending on what he did in the Breeders' Cup – whether to breed him or continue to run him. I had a lot of interest from people, but to me, it made more sense to run him this year,” he said. “There are not many in his class that are still running. He's got a good following. People love watching him. He tries and shows up every time.”

The Kelly Breen-trained Firenze Fire has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a 12-horse Mr. Prospector field that includes multiple graded-stakes winner Diamond Oops, rated second at 3-1, and multiple Grade 1 stakes-winner Mind Control.

“He'll probably run two or three times at Gulfstream,” Lombardi said, “and then we'll probably ship him to New York for the Carter in Early April.”

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Firenze Fire, Mind Control, Diamond Oops Set For Clash In Saturday’s Mr. Prospector

Mr. Amore Stable LLC's Firenze Fire, Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables LLC's Mind Control, and Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC and partners' Diamond Oops are set for a highly anticipated clash in Saturday's $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The trio of multiple graded stakes-winning veterans will headline a deep field of 12 sprinters for the 66th running of seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up on an 11-race card that will also feature a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool.

Kelly Breen-trained Firenze Fire, who was scratched from the Dec. 5 Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct due to a sloppy track, is coming off a third-place finish at Keeneland in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), in which he rallied from 11th to just miss catching C Z Rocket for second in the six-furlong race won by Whitmore.

“Whitmore was able to get through. We were just behind him, but it closed up on us and we couldn't get there. He ran a great race. He always does. He tries all the time,” Mr. Amore Stable's Ron Lombardi said. “The slop is obviously difficult for him. That's what led to the decision to skip the Cigar Mile and ship him to Florida.”

The homebred 5-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior, who has earned $2.2 million while winning 12 of 30 career starts against top-class company, had previously captured the Vosburgh (G2) at Belmont Park by 2 ¾ lengths.

Firenze Fire, who captured the Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park during his juvenile campaign, has been an enduring sprint star while capturing graded stakes in each of the next three years, including three in 2020. Since joining Breen's stable in March, his only two poor showings in six starts came over sloppy tracks.

Firenze Fire is scheduled to run at Gulfstream Park for the first time in his career.

“He's won on seven tracks. Of his 12 wins, seven have been at different tracks,” Lombardi said. “I think he likes a harder surface better than a softer surface, so I think Gulfstream will serve him well.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount.

Greg Sacco-trained Mind Control was also scratched from the Cigar Mile due to his dislike for sloppy tracks. The 4-year-old son of Stay Thirsty won Grade 1 stakes at Saratoga in each of his first two years of racing, capturing the Hopeful at 2 and the H. Allen Jerkens at 3.

Mind Control kicked off his 2020 campaign with back-to-back graded-stakes victories at Aqueduct in the Toboggan (G3) and Tom Fool (G3) but is winless in five subsequent starts. After finishing eighth in the Carter (G1) over a sloppy Belmont track, the Red Oak homebred turned in a strong third-place finish behind Volatile and Whitmore in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga. In his last three starts he finished off-the-board over a sloppy Saratoga track in the Forego (G1); finished third in the ungraded Mr. Prospector at Monmouth; and was a disappointing ninth in the seven-furlong Lafayette at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

“It's been a little bit of a hard luck year. He started out the year super and then COVID hit. The Carter got pushed back and he hit the slop and he hates the slop. We ran him back in the Vanderbilt and he ran super. We were back on track and we hit the slop again,” Sacco said. “We brought him back to Monmouth to give him an easier race to give him a confidence booster. He got a rough trip that day and got checked back on the backstretch. The race at Keeneland, a horse gave way right in front of him and Johnny [Velazquez] had to snatch him up. We've been sort of a victim of circumstances this year.”

Hall of Famer Velazquez has the return call aboard Mind Control.

Patrick Biancone-trained Diamond Oops is coming into the Mr. Prospector off an even sixth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), in which he finished 4 ½ lengths behind Whitmore and a length behind Firenze Fire after breaking from an outside post position.

“He came back good,” Biancone said. “He got a bad draw that day, but he came back good.”

The versatile Diamond Oops, who won last year's Mr. Prospector, went into the Breeders' Cup off back-to-back victories in the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint (G2) and the Phoenix (G2) over Keeneland's main track. In 2019, the 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky was Grade 1 stakes-placed in back-to-back starts on dirt (Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga) and on turf (Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland).

“He's just a good horse,” Biancone said.

After winning the Mr. Prospector last year, Diamond Oops came back to finish a credible fourth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January.

“We go one race at a time,” Biancone said. “We're going race by race. We'll see how we go. It's a long way. We'll see. I cannot say, 'yes.' I cannot say, 'no.'”

Julien Leparoux has the call aboard Diamond Oops.

David Bernsen LLC and Jeffrey Lambert's Lasting Legacy also enters the Mr. Prospector after running in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, in which he was beaten by 6 ¾ lengths in a ninth-place finish after being claimed for $80,000 out of his previous race. The 6-year-old son of Tapizar finished second behind Diamond Oops in the Mr. Prospector last season.

Trainer Bob Hess Jr. named Paco Lopez to ride Lasting Legacy.

Thumbs Up Racing LLC's Sleepy Eyes Todd enters the Mr. Prospector off a victory on the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup card, having captured the Lafayette by 1 ½ lengths after closing from 12th. True Timber, who finished second, came back to win the Cigar Mile. The Miguel Silva-trained 4-year-old son of Paddy O'Prado had won the Charles Town Classic (G2) two starts prior. Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride Sleepy Eyes Todd for the first time Saturday.

R. A. Hill Stable's Majestic Dunhill finished seventh in the Fall Highweight (G3) at Aqueduct in his most recent start but rates consideration Saturday off a victory in the Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont in his previous start. Trainer George Weaver awarded the mount aboard the 5-year-old son of Majesticperfection to Joe Bravo.

Shadwell Stable's Haikal, who captured the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct last year for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, is scheduled to make his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher Saturday off nearly a 10-month layoff. Luis Saez is slated to ride the 4-year-old son of Daaher for the first time.

My Purple Haze Stables' Cool Arrow, the winner of the Sept. 6 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream, is scheduled to seek his fifth victory in eight starts over the Gulfstream strip in the Mr. Prospector. The Terri Pompay-trained son of Into Mischief will be ridden by Edgard Zayas.

Rounding out the field are Wind of Change, Last Judgment, Ebben and Zenden.

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Weather Report Makes Cigar Mile A Gameday Decision For Firenze Fire, Mind Control

Trainer Kelly Breen said Mr. Amore Stable's multiple graded-stakes winner Firenze Fire may look for other options should Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile be contested over a sloppy main track at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“He's doing well but right now the main concern is the weather. If the track is sloppy, I don't think we're going to run,” said Breen. “There are a couple of other options for him.

“But if the rain misses us, we're running,” added Breen. “He's ready to go.”

Firenze Fire has won at one mile on three occasions, including the 2017 Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont; the 2018 Grade 3 Dwyer on Big Sandy; and the 2018 Jerome at the Big A.

Last out, the 5-year-old Poseidon's Warrior bay rallied from 11th to finish third in the six-furlong Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland Racetrack under Jose Lezcano.

Breen said he expects the stretch out in distance to help his horse.

“I do, especially off his closing race at the Breeders' Cup. I think it should not be a problem,” said Breen.

Breen took over training duties for Firenze Fire earlier this year and has saddled the horse to a record of two wins from six starts, including Grade 2 scores in the True North on June 27 and Vosburgh Invitational on Sept. 26, both contested on a fast Belmont main track.

Two of Firenze Fire's losses for Breen came in Grade 1 events – the Runhappy Carter Handicap at Belmont and the Forego presented by America's Best Racing at Saratoga – on sloppy tracks.

Lezcano retains the mount from post 4.

Mind Control won't be doing his best Gene Kelly impersonation if the expected rainy forecast comes to fruition for Saturday's Grade 1 Cigar Mile, with trainer Gregg Sacco saying on Friday that inclement weather will likely cause him to scratch out of the test for 3-year-olds and up that highlights four-graded stakes over Aqueduct Racetrack's main track.

The last two times Mind Control has run over sloppy tracks have not resulted in good efforts, with the 4-year-old Stay Thirsty colt running eighth in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Forego on August 29 at Saratoga Race Course and sixth in the Grade 1 Carter on June 6 at Belmont Park. Both of those efforts saw Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez try to cajole the five-time graded stakes-winner to no avail.

“It's just not in the game plan for him,” Sacco said. “The few times we did try it, they were just nightmares. Johnny said he spins his wheels and just doesn't get a hold of the track.”

The multiple Grade 1-winner is coming off a ninth-place effort in the seven-furlong Lafayette on November 7 at Keeneland. But Sacco said he has trained forwardly at his Belmont base since then, including a four-furlong work in 48.85 seconds on Sunday.

“He's been right on cue and has been full of himself and he really loves training at Belmont,” Sacco said. “His energy level was high. We were happy with everything coming into this race.”

Mind Control has thrived at the Big A, winning four of his five races with a runner-up effort in the other contest. Three of his graded stakes scores have come at the Ozone Park-based track, including the 2019 Grade 3 Bay Shore and this year's edition of the Grade 3 Toboggan and Grade 3 Tom Fool.

“It's unfortunate because he's training as good as ever and came out of the last race well,” Sacco said. “We were just hoping for a fast track and a little wetness on the track isn't the end of the world, but if the forecast holds true, it doesn't look like we'll be running tomorrow.”

Owned by Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables, Mind Control is 7-2-3 in 17 career starts with earnings of more than $1.04 million.

“Everyone's in the same boat. It's part of the game and as trainers we take the good with the bad,” Sacco said. “The main thing is that he's 100 percent sound and his weight is good and his coat is good and he's going to run as a 5-year-old, so we look forward to that.”

Sacco said he hasn't picked out a definitive spot for his seasonal debut after the near year, but said a return engagement for the Grade 1 Carter, where he ran sixth in June at Belmont, is a possibility.

“I think the first big goal of 2021 is the Carter,” Sacco said.

Mind Control drew post 2 in the nine-horse field with Velazquez slated to ride. He is one of four horses listed as 20-1 on the morning line, joining Snapper Sinclair, Majestic Dunhill and Bon Raison.

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Vekoma Retired, to Stand for $20K at Spendthrift

Multiple Grade I-winning millionaire Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}–Mona de Momma, by Speightstown) has been retired from racing and arrived at B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm where the 4-year-old will take up stud duty in 2021. His fee has been set at $20,000 S&N.

This year’s impressive winner of the GI Carter H. and GI Runhappy Metropolitan H., Vekoma was scratched as the morning-line favorite in Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint after spiking a fever upon arrival at Keeneland. He will be given a few days to settle in at Spendthrift before being available for inspection.

“Precocious, brilliantly fast, carried his speed around two turns–you name it, Vekoma could do it,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “On top of that, he is a Grade I winner by a Grade I winner and out of a Grade I winner, so he’s truly a rare package in the breeding world. You won’t find a more brilliant or better-bred son of Candy Ride. We are extremely excited about his future at stud and look forward to showing him off to breeders after he’s been allowed a few days to settle in here … Any time a horse as good and as deserving as Vekoma does not get the opportunity to run in the Breeders’ Cup, you are obviously disappointed for the horse and for the connections. There’s so much hard work that gets put in. Ultimately, you have to credit George Weaver and his team for having an incredible season and always doing right by Vekoma through some hard luck at the end.”

Trained by George Weaver for owners R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma captured graded stakes wins at two, three and four. The chestnut took the GIII Nashua S. at Aqueduct to complete an undefeated juvenile campaign, then went on to score a dominant 3 1/2-length win in the 1 1/8-mile GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland as a 3-year-old.

This year, Vekoma was perfect with wins at three different racetracks, kicking off his 4-year-old season with a 3 3/4-length victory in Gulfstream’s Sir Shackleton S. in March, adding a dazzling 7 1/4-length win in the Carter at Aqueduct, earning a career-high 110 Beyer Speed Figure, and scoring a front-running win in the prestigious Met Mile while stopping the clock in 1:32 4/5–just .15 seconds off the stakes record for the 129-year-old New York fixture.

An earner of $1,245,525, Vekoma was bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables. His dam’s career high came with a victory in the GI Humana Distaff H. Vekoma’s second dam, Society Gal, is a half-sister to successful sire Mr. Greeley.

Vekoma becomes the third Met Mile winner in the last four years to take up stud duty at Spendthrift. Mor Spirit, the 2017 winner, and Mitole, the 2019 winner, both stand at the historic Lexington-based farm.

For more information about Vekoma or to schedule an inspection, contact Des, Mark or Brian at 859-294-0030, or visit SpendthriftFarm.com.

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