The deal had been negotiated. The paperwork was signed and scanned. All that remained to complete the transaction that would confirm Firenze Fire’s future as a stallion in Japan was the press of a button. “It sat there on my computer for about 45 minutes before I could push send,” Ron Lombardi said. Lombardi, who races under the banner Mr. Amore Stable, is the owner and breeder of Firenze Fire. Likely, he spent most of those 45 minutes recalling the thrills the modestly bred Firenze Fire has given him the last five years. Thirteen stakes victories, nine graded. A trip to the Kentucky Derby. Four trips to the Breeders’ Cup. In that moment, it was hard to absorb it would soon be coming to an end. But it’s not over yet. There is one more race to run in, one more week to enjoy. Firenze Fire will end his career with a start in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar. Firenze Fire will become just the sixth horse to run in five straight Breeders’ Cups, a group that includes Better Talk Now, California Flag, Kona Gold, Obviously, and Perfect Drift. (Channel Maker, if he gets into the Turf, would be making his fifth BC appearance, though not consecutively.) “It’s something special to have that consistency,” said Lombardi, who added “I enjoy the excitement of horse racing and in the Breeders’ Cup. You have 14 great races with the best horses in the world coming over.” :: BREEDERS’ CUP 2021: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, news, and more for each division Firenze Fire is the product of a mating between Poseidon’s Warrior and My Every Wish. The mare was claimed by trainer Jason Servis on behalf of Lombardi for $16,000 in April 2012 but never made it back to the races. The stallion stands in Florida for $3,000. Firenze Fire won his debut on June 18, 2017, at Monmouth Park and five weeks later captured the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga. After a fourth in the Hopeful – run over a wet track – Firenze Fire won the Grade 1 Champagne – beating Good Magic – at odds of 11-1. That earned him a spot in the BC Juvenile at Del Mar, but after shipping cross-country Firenze Fire developed a temperature. Lombardi knew if the horse was treated with antibiotics, he would not be able to run in the race. Lombardi, at his own expense, had multiple blood samples tested at an off-site clinic to confirm there were no other issues with Firenze Fire and that his fever had come down without treatment. He ran and finished seventh behind Good Magic. “There was something going on. It wasn’t enough to scratch him,” Lombardi said. “We did the testing we needed and he was fine, but he had something early on in the trip.” Lombardi’s goal for Firenze Fire’s 3-year-old season was to make it to the Kentucky Derby. Firenze Fire competed in all four of Aqueduct’s points-scoring races, and he earned just enough to get into the Derby field. Though Lombardi knew Firenze Fire was likely suspect at 1 1/4 miles, he wanted to run and the horse finished 11th in the 20-horse field, 23 1/2 lengths behind Justify. “A lot of people were saying he was a sprinter,” Lombardi said. “My feeling is if you have the opportunity to make it to the Derby, I’ll always go. It’s the crown jewel of our sport.” Aside from the result and the rain that hampered the traditional walkover, Lombardi said he enjoyed his Derby experience. “We didn’t get out of Churchill Downs till 11:30,” he said. “The only reason we left is we ran out of booze. You would have thought we won, we had such a good time. They did a great job at Churchill Downs taking care of us.” Following the Derby, Firenze Fire was cut back to one-turn races. In his first start after the Derby, he romped by nine lengths in the Grade 3 Dwyer at Belmont. Following a third in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens, Firenze Fire won the Grade 3 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing, a race in which he was savaged by Whereshetoldmetogo. Faced with a choice between the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Dirt Mile, Lombardi and Servis chose the Dirt Mile – which being at Churchill Downs was a one-turn mile as was the Dwyer. He finished fourth, 11 1/4 lengths behind City of Light. “Looking back, maybe the Sprint would have been a better spot,” Lombardi said. “Hindsight’s always 20-20.” :: BREEDERS’ CUP 2021: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, news, and more for each division In 2019, Firenze Fire finished second to Mitole in the Grade 1 Forego and was beaten a nose by Imperial Hint in a thrilling running of the Grade 1 Vosburgh. In the BC Sprint at Santa Anita, he was no match for Mitole, finishing fifth, beaten 4 1/2 lengths. Firenze Fire won two stakes to close out 2019, the Fabulous Strike at Penn National and the Gravesend at Aqueduct. He began 2020 with a four-length victory in the Grade 3 General George at Laurel Park. A few weeks later, in March 2020, Servis was indicted for allegedly administering illegal or misbranded medications to his horses. Lombardi, who said he was shocked to learn of Servis’s misdeeds, had to find a new trainer and gave the horse to Kelly Breen. In his first start for Breen, Firenze Fire finished fourth in the Grade 1 Carter, run over a sloppy track. He won the Grade 2 True North and would later win the Grade 2 Vosburgh before running third, 2 1/2 lengths behind Whitmore, in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Lombardi felt Firenze Fire’s performances for Breen validated him as a good horse. Lombardi said “2020 was an important year for me. I have no idea what the horse was given [by Servis]. It was really important for Kelly to get him back to where he was and show he hadn’t lost a step. His performances in 2021 were right in line with his whole career. That was really important to get the monkey off his back, and Kelly did a great job doing that.” Breen was already a trainer for Lombardi at the time, but said taking over Firenze Fire was different than starting from scratch with an unraced 2-year-old who comes in with expectations. “He was already established, ran in some nice races, and I had to keep him going,” Breen said. “There was pressure. The horse showed up for almost every race – a couple of his mud races I could put a line through – but he’s truly a good horse.” This year, Firenze Fire has two wins – including a repeat in the Grade 2 True North, on a wet track rated “good” – and two seconds, including a head loss to Yaupon in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, a race in which Firenze Fire savaged Yaupon for several strides. “People say it’s a competitive thing, people say it’s a playful thing, he did get bumped once or twice,” Lombardi said “He got fame and notoriety out of it.” Firenze Fire will enter the Breeders’ Cup off a somewhat disappointing second to Following Sea in the four-horse Vosburgh. With a larger field, Lombardi is hoping for a truer-run race, one in which Firenze Fire could sit off the pace and come with a rally. Win or lose, Lombardi plans to have a good time this week in Del Mar. He is bringing four friends from the East Coast with him and they are meeting up with a mutual friend in California. There’ll be golf, a few parties, and one more chance for Lombardi to see his horse of a lifetime compete before he has to say sayonara.