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‘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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Mehmas Colt Stars On Goffs Day One

KILDARE, Ireland–The opening day of the rescheduled Goffs November Sale got off to a lukewarm start on Friday, with present circumstances understandably impacting trade. Last year’s opening day was highlighted by a €100,000 session topper with seven foals selling for €50,000 or more, while 69.5% of the offered foals changed hands at an average of €17,957 and a median of €13,750. It was a slightly different story on Friday when only four foals reached or surpassed the €50,000 mark headed by a €75,000 session-topping Mehmas (Ire) colt. In total, 159 of the 254 (63%) offered foals changed hands for a total of €2,178,200, at an average of €13,786 and a median of €10,000. Allowances, of course, have to made for this being the most disruptive year in recent times, and it is expected that trade should take a leap forward in each of the next two sessions.

The most expensive foal of the day saw two branches of a very prominent bloodstock family battle it out with Tally-Ho Stud’s Tony and Roger O’Callaghan eventually getting the better of Grangemore Stud’s Guy O’Callaghan, who was standing with his brother Robert. Lot 279 is by the all-conquering Mehmas (Ire), who the successful bidders stand, and is the second produce out of the unraced Lope De Vega (Ire) mare Vida Amorosa (Ire), who was purchased in this ring in 2017 for just €1,200. Offered by Derek Veitch’s Ringfort Stud on behalf of breeder Tom Lacy, the chestnut colt continued the fine run of form for Ringfort this year both on the track and in the sales ring.

“He’ll come back for sale as a yearling and is a sweet colt,” Tony O’Callaghan said afterwards. “We sold his half-bother earlier in the year but this fella is a better model. The sire has been amazing and we are delighted to have him,” he added.

Mehmas was also responsible for a colt (lot 286) signed up by Paula Flannery late in the session for €40,000.

There has been plenty of publicity the past few weeks about Starfield Stud’s new stallion Far Above (Ire), and a half-brother to that G3 Palace House S. winner led proceedings throughout much of the session on Friday when selling to Avenue Bloodstock’s Mark McStay for €70,000. Lot 73, a son of Dawn Approach (Ire), was consigned by Clare Manning’s Boherguy Stud and is out of the winning Shamardal mare Dorraar (Ire), whose group-winning sprinting son has been her only runner so far. After signing the buyer’s docket Mark McStay commented, “He’s a lovely horse and I’ve had some luck with the sire before. He’s been bought for an existing client who might keep him to race rather than to sell next year.”

Boherguy has 11 foals catalogued this weekend and having got her sales week off to a good start, Clare Manning said, “We sold him on behalf of a client and he is a lovely, professional horse and it was great for our client to get a result like that. It’s a nice start for ourselves as well and hopefully it will continue that way as we have some lovely foals to sell over the next few days.”

Mark McStay was back in the fray later on when he went to €60,000 to secure a colt by Dandy Man (Ire) offered by Arglo House Stud. Lot 208 is a grandson of the G3 Park Express S. winner Danehill Music (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and the dam Rip Van Music (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) has bred a winner from her first and only runner. “He’s been bought for a pinhooking syndicate to be re-sold through Baroda Stud next year,” reported McStay. “He is a lovely foal, one of the standouts today and Dandy Man (Ire) has had another solid year. I didn’t think I’d have to give as much for him as I did but hopefully he’ll be worth it,” he added.

An attractive daughter of Sea The Moon (Ger) caught the eye of Grove Stud’s Brendan Holland and was eventually knocked down to him for €50,000. The Castlebridge-consigned lot 86 is the first foal out of the unraced Exploitation (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}), who is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Rythmique (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}).

Paul McCartan has a habit of striking gold with his pinhooks and it will be interesting to monitor the exploits both in the sales ring and on the track of lot 81. This Mastercraftsman (Ire) filly was bought by the McCartan’s Ballyphilip Stud for €45,000. Offered by Galbertstown Stables, the Liz O’Leary-bred filly is closely related to GI Matriarch S. winner Off Limits (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), while her yearling full-brother made 55,000gns at Tattersalls in October. The dam Eccellente Idea (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}) also got off to a winning start as a broodmare this year when her second produce won as a 2-year-old in Norway.

Early in the day John Walsh acquired lot 15, a filly by Churchill (Ire), for €42,000. Offered by Oak Lodge & Springfield House Stud, the foal is the second produce out of Alambra (Ire) (Shamardal) a winner in Italy and placed four times in stakes company. The same price was given for lot 255, a colt by Footstepsinthesand (GB) purchased by Tally-Ho Stud.

The Murphys of Redpender Stud are noted judges of bloodstock, and they put their faith in lot 180, a colt by Fast Company (Ire). Offered by Ballyogue Stud, the first produce out of Nisma (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) from the family of group winner and Classic-placed Wind Chimes (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) was knocked down to Kilkenny based Jimmy Murphy for €40,000. “We haven’t had one by the sire before but he’s a proven stallion and this is a good foal with a nice pedigree so hopefully he can come back successfully next year,” he said.

Murphy swiftly added another foal to his 2021 pinhooking team when securing lot 182, a Dandy Man (Ire) filly, for €29,000.

The sale resumes on Saturday morning at 10a.m.

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Keeneland January Protocols Announced

Keeneland has released its health and safety protocols for the January Horses of All Ages Sale, which takes place Jan. 11-14. For the safety of all participants, the policies and procedures are very much consistent with those from the September and November sales. A few highlights:

Attendance at the January Sale will again be limited to credentialed sales participants. Please apply for a new credential in the Virtual Badge app. Your credential from the November Sale will not be valid for the January Sale.

COVID-19 testing will again be required for all consignors, veterinarians, farriers, media, Keeneland employees and essential staff. Keeneland will offer testing on-site Dec. 28 & 29 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center. However, your test does not have to be taken at Keeneland.

Access to the Keeneland grounds will be restricted to those with January Sale credentials beginning Friday, Jan. 8 through Thursday, Jan. 14.

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Owners’ Per-Start Fee to Increase by 10% Jan. 1

Stemming from the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the reduction of live racing, and California’s statewide increases in workers compensation costs, Post Time Self Insurance will institute a 10% increase, paid by both owners and trainers, to offset the shortages of the horse industry’s workers compensation program covering jockeys and backstretch workers. Owners and trainers fund the majority of program costs via per-stall charges from trainers and race per-start fees from owners. The owners’ per-start fee will be raised from $149 to $162, effective Jan. 1, 2021. The per-start fee will continue to be automatically deducted from the owner’s paymaster account every time they start a horse.

To help offset increased workers’ compensation per-start increases and provide additional financial support to California owners, the Thoroughbred Owners of California authorized an increase in the Guaranteed Participation Purses earlier this year from $351 to $500 per start in Southern California and from $300 to $450 in Northern California. Guaranteed participation purses are paid to owners of horses that fail to finish in the top five spots. Horses finishing sixth and beyond (and to fifth place finishers when their share of purse money is less than the corresponding Guaranteed Participation Purse) are paid $500 per start in Southern California and $450 per start Northern California.

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