breeders' cup sprint | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Multipurpose’ Diamond Oops Back On Dirt For Friday’s Ogden Phoenix

Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and Patrick Biancone Racing's Diamond Oops arrived at Keeneland Monday morning following an overnight van ride from Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida for a run in Friday afternoon's $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2).

Monday's arrival marked the second trip to Kentucky in a month for Diamond Oops, who was last seen in the Commonwealth winning the TwinSpires Turf Sprint (G2) Presented by Sysco going 5½ furlongs on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs. In his lone Keeneland start, Diamond Oops was second in last year's Shadwell Turf Mile (G1).

“He's a multipurpose horse,” said Andie Biancone, assistant to her father, Patrick Biancone. “I think he is better on the dirt.”

A two-time Grade 3 winner sprinting on the dirt, Diamond Oops worked a bullet half-mile in :47.85 at Palm Meadows on Friday. However, that performance was not the key to the gelding trying the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix going 6 furlongs on the dirt, a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“My dad had planned on the Phoenix,” Biancone said of Diamond Oops, who also was nominated to this weekend's Shadwell Turf Mile and Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG. Florent Geroux will have the mount.

Diamond Oops was accompanied on the van by a pony but not by Sole Volante, the 11th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve who is co-owned by Andie Biancone.

“My dad wanted to give him more time (after the Derby),” Biancone said of Sole Volante, who was nominated to the Shadwell Turf Mile. “He is looking at bringing him up for an undercard race on Breeders' Cup weekend (Nov. 6-7).”

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C Z Rocket Edges Flagstaff In Santa Anita Sprint Championship

In a head and head thriller, trainer Peter Miller's C Z Rocket prevailed by a hard-fought head over John Sadler's Flagstaff in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., final prep to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7. Ridden for the first time by Luis Saez, C Z Rocket, who is now unbeaten in five starts with Miller since being claimed for $40,000 last April at Oaklawn Park, covered six furlongs in 1:09.14.

Breaking sharply from his number four post position in a field of five 3-year-olds and up, C Z Rocket was immediately into contention and while under restraint, sat three quarters of a length off Flagstaff as they left the half mile pole.

Turning for home, Flagstaff, with Victor Espinoza up, drifted out a bit, carrying C Z Rocket into the three path and from there, it was game on in the run to the wire, with neither horse giving an inch in great stretch duel.

“I didn't expect to be that close, but he broke so sharp and he took me there,” said the eastern-based Saez. “I decided to let him settle and keep him happy. When I pulled the trigger turning for home, he took off. I love this horse, now he's ready for the real deal.”

A winner of the G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes going seven furlongs on Aug. 29 at Del Mar, C Z Rocket, a 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding by City Zip, was off as the 7-5 favorite and paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.10.

“There were a lot of things involved in this,” said Miller, who is off to a tremendous start at Santa Anita's Autumn Meet, winning his third stakes dating back to Friday and his fourth overall, good for a tie with Bob Baffert for the lead in the trainer standings. “We recently sold a part of him to Gary Barber and Sol Kumin and I really wanted to win for those two gentlemen. Flavien (Prat) took off him (to ride third place finisher Collusion Illusion) and I wanted to prove that he made the wrong move.

“I just wanted to win this race … It was the owner, Tom Kagele, who picked this horse (to claim on April 30). I wouldn't have picked him, his form was too bad to claim him, but I did like that he had run some fast races in the past … We're definitely leaning toward the Sprint, he's won the last (five) going one turn. We're going to keep him one turn.”

With his second consecutive graded stakes win in-hand, C Z Rocket, who is out of the Successful Appeal mare Successful Sarah, is now 22-9-1-2 and with the winner's share of $120,000, he has earnings of $551,641.

Flagstaff, who ran too good to lose, was off as the third choice in the wagering and paid $3.00 and $2.10.

Ridden by Prat and off at 9-5, Collusion Illusion, who broke from the rail, couldn't go with the top two late and finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Flagstaff while paying $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.33, 45.27 and 57.13.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth to the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

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Firenze Fire Back On Favorite Track, Wins Vosburgh Easily

Second, beaten a nose by Imperial Hint in the 2019 renewal, Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire came from off the pace under jockey Jose Lezcano to win the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. In so doing, the 5-year-old Florida-bred by Poseidon's Voyage, trained by Kelly Breen, earned an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The 2020 Breeders' Cup Sprint will be run at Keeneland Nov. 7 as part of the two-day world championships program.

Racing over his favorite surface, where he won the G1 Champagne at 2, the G3 Dwyer at 3 and the G2 True North Stakes earlier this year, Firenze Fire covered six furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.74. He paid $7.20 to win the Vosburgh, his 12th victory in 29 lifetime starts.

Funny Guy finished second, with pacesetter Share the Ride third, True Timber fourth and Engage last in the field of five after the scratch of Stan the Man.

Firenze Fire was transferred to Breen earlier this year after his former trainer, Jason Servis, was indicted on drug misbranding charges that are part of a federal probe in racehorse doping.

After a fourth-place finish in the G1 Carter Handicap in his first start for Breen, Firenze Fire won the True North and then finished fourth behind Volatile in the G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga. He came off an 11th-place finish in the slop at Saratoga in the G1 Forego won by Win Win Win.

Share the Ride set the pace in the Vosburgh, going :22.33 for the opening quarter mile and :45.53 for the half. Firenze Fire tracked the leader in second, taking command in the stretch after a five-furlong fraction of :57.36.

“Today, it was a small field, so I wanted to break good and he was in the bridle the whole way,” said Lezcano. “When I asked him at the quarter pole, he took off.”

“I can say he doesn't like the mud [following a last-place effort in G1 Forego],” said Breen. “You can put a line through his last race and he really performed today. 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].”

Ron Lombardi of Mr. Amore Stable said: “I think he's right there [with the best sprinters in the country]. There's no question about it. Kelly has done a fantastic job with him. It's our second win after everything [trainer change] and he's a solid horse. He always delivers and he recovers well. We'll decide after the Breeders' Cup what we're going to do, there's a lot of options but I love racing. If he does well there, it will be a tough decision [to send him to stud].”

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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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