Fire Away breaks through in Artie Schiller

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Fire Away had come close several times in his seven preceding races, but hadn't won. On Saturday at Aqueduct, he broke through with his first stakes win in the $150,000 Artie Schiller, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up.

While Fire Away had been less than perfect coming into the Artie Schiller, he remains unbeaten over the Aqueduct turf, where he is now 3 for 3.

John Velazquez, who gave Fire Away a sweet ride, rallying up the inside in the stretch, said he thinks this just might be Fire Away's time of year.

"When the grass is a little softer, I think he likes that," Velazquez said. "There's some give in the ground, and he responded well to it."

Robbie Medina, assistant to trainer Shug McGaughey, echoed Velazquez's remarks, but said Fire Away also might prefer Aqueduct to Belmont because the turns aren't as sweeping.

"It looked like he was going to win his last race but he didn't," Medina said. "After the race, Johnny said he didn't think he was running on the turns. He's a little better suited for running around the turns here than maybe at Belmont."

Fire Away saved ground in mid-pack on the backstretch. Velazquez kept him toward the inside in the stretch and he forged to the lead inside 19-1 Monster Bea and Woodbine shipper Hollywood Hideaway in the final sixteenth to win by a length.

Monster Bea finished second, a half-length ahead of 13-1 Hollywood Hideaway. Blacktype, the 7-5 favorite moved up to a contending position three wide on the far turn, but lacked the needed kick in the stretch. He finished fourth, a half-length behind Hollywood Hideaway.

Fire Away, a 5-year-old son of War Front out of the Unbridled mare Salute, is a half-brother to $1.2 million earner Mr. Speaker. Fire Away is now 5 for 19 with earnings of $373,000.

Timed in 1:35.32 in a light drizzle but over firm turf, Fire Away paid $10.60 as the third choice in the 10-horse field.

Marengo Road, who set fractions of 23.69, 47.46, and 1:11.35, tired to finish seventh.

Delta Prince, who would have challenged Blacktype for favoritism, was an early scratch.