Firenze Fire | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sprint: Breen Believes Firenze Fire Peaking At The Right Time

Mr. Amore Stable's multiple graded-stakes winner Firenze Fire worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 Friday on the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in preparation for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

“The breeze was very good,” said trainer Kelly Breen. “We'll get at least one more good work into him and maybe a two-minute lick, but that's about it. It's just maintenance stuff now.”

The 5-year-old Florida homebred son of Poseidon's Warrior secured his fifth win at Belmont last out with a prominent score in the G2 Vosburgh that earned a 101 Beyer and an automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Sprint via the Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” Challenge Series.

Breen took over training duties for Firenze Fire earlier this year and has saddled the horse to a record of two wins from five starts that also includes a score in the G2 True North on June 27 on a fast Belmont main track.

Breen said Firenze Fire is peaking at the right time.

“I hope so,” said Breen. “He just ran his best Beyer for me, so if he can duplicate that or do a little bit better I think we have an excellent chance of winning.”

Firenze Fire, who boasts a record of 29-12-3-2 with purse earnings in excess of $2 million, will have the services of returning rider Jose Lezcano at the Breeders' Cup.

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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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BC Sprint Berth on the Line in Vosburgh

Following the untimely retirement of the ultra-talented GISW Volatile (Violence) earlier this week, an evenly matched field of six will line up for Saturday’s GII Vosburgh S. at Belmont Park, a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

The 2-1 morning-line favorite Engage (Into Mischief), winner of last fall’s GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. at Keeneland, makes his first start since finishing a non-threatening fourth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. He’s been training steadily at Steve Asmussen’s Churchill base for this.

Belmont horse-for-course Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior), just a nose short in last year’s heart-stopping renewal of this race, contested then as a Grade I, was last of 11 in a Saratoga downpour in the GI Forego S. last time Aug. 29. He’s posted three career graded stakes victories at Belmont, led by a tally in the 2017 GI Champagne S. He also has a win in the GII True North S. June 27 over this course on his resume as well.

Funny Guy (Big Brown) followed a pair of sharp stakes victories versus fellow New York-breds with a close fourth as the 3-1 favorite after a troubled trip in the Forego.

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