Belmont-loving Firenze Fire starts 6-year-old season in Runhappy Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Following a freshening after a busy 2020 campaign, Firenze Fire is primed to make his 6-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Runhappy Stakes at Belmont Park.

While Firenze Fire has won or run well at multiple tracks, he has recorded five of his 11 stakes victories at Belmont. That includes the Grade 1 Champagne at 2, the Grade 3 Dwyer at 3, the then-listed Runhappy at 4, and the True North and Vosburgh – both Grade 2s – at age 5. Moreover, five of his eight triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures have come at Belmont.

“To have an affinity for a track, there’s nothing wrong with it being Belmont Park,” trainer Kelly Breen said.

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Firenze Fire, third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland, has not run since he finished second to Sleepy Eyes Todd in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream Park last December. Owner Ron Lombardi eschewed stallion offers for the Florida-bred son of Poseidon’s Warrior to have him for a 6-year-old campaign.

He shows a steady series of works for the Runhappy, run at six furlongs.

“I’m eager to see his return,” Breen said. “He looks extremely well, he’s training well. I hope he doesn’t have any cobwebs. A couple of times in workouts we stepped on the gas and we feel like he’s ready to go.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Firenze Fire from post 4 in the five-horse field.

In the Runhappy, Firenze Fire will likely have to run down Chateau, a speedy 6-year-old gelding who had a solid winter for trainer Rob Atras, topped by winning the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct. He unsuccessfully tried seven furlongs in the Grade 1 Carter, where he was fourth of five, 6 1/2 lengths behind winner Mischevious Alex.

Chateau is 0 for 3 with two thirds at Belmont. Chateau will break from post 3 under Kendrick Carmouche.

Stan the Man finished second to Firenze Fire in last year’s True North. He came out of that to win the Tale of the Cat at Saratoga. He is 0 for 4 since.

Town Classic, with 20 seconds from 49 starts, and Drafted, a multiple Group 3 winner in Dubai in 2019 who is 0 for 7 since, complete the field.

With only five runners, the Runhappy was carded as race 4 on the 11-race card that begins at 1 p.m.

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Vagrancy Handicap

Only a few months ago, Pacific Gale was earmarked for the breeding shed, scheduled for a date with Not This Time.

But when owner Mike Morton died, a decision was made by his wife, Tobey, to keep Pacific Gale in training, and the 6-year-old mare has delivered two of her best performances, winning the Inside Information and Hurricane Bertie stakes at Gulfstream Park. In between those races, she was sold privately to Holly Hill Stables.

Saturday, Pacific Gale returns to Belmont, where she also has had success, when she makes her third attempt to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs. She has a second and a third in prior runnings of this race.

Trainer John Kimmel said he made a slight equipment change to Pacific Gale, taking off a German martingale, and he trained her on the jogging path at Palm Meadows. Perhaps that had something to do with her turnaround.

Jockey John Velazquez, who rode Pacific Gale in the Inside Information and who is on again Saturday, also seemed to learn something about her that may have helped, Kimmel said.

“He thought when you put her in behind horses and kept her in there, that’s the way she responds best,” Kimmel said. “Keep her in behind horses, show her an opening, and she’s been very aggressive to make that move.”

Pacific Gale has two wins at Belmont. She also ran well in the 2019 Vagrancy, falling a neck shy of Heavenhasmynikki. In 2020, Pacific Gale finished third in the Vagrancy behind Victim of Love, who won at 27-1 and who is back in again this year for trainer Todd Beattie.

Honor Way found her fountain of youth at the end of her 6-year-old season with victories in the Pumpkin Pie Stakes here and the Garland of Roses at Aqueduct. She also finished second, 7 1/4 lengths behind Frank’s Rockette, in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap here last fall.

French Empire will scratch from the Vagrancy to run in the Skipat Stakes at Pimlico next week, trainer Brad Cox said Thursday.

Sadie Lady looms the primary speed. Piedi Bianchi was third to Pacific Gale in the Inside Information at Gulfstream when conditioned by Steve Klesaris and is returning to the care of trainer Carlos Martin.

Kiss the Girl, who is cross-entered in an allowance on Friday at Pimlico, is coming off a victory in the Conniver Stakes for Maryland-breds on March 13 at Laurel.