Fire With Fire leads California marathon turf division

ARCADIA, Calif. – Fire With Fire’s win in Saturday’s Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita has made the 6-year-old the clear leader in the California marathon turf division.

While the division does not feature a strong roster, Fire With Fire is clearly in the best season of his career – and at a perfect time for Neil Drysdale.

The Hall of Fame trainer said Sunday that Lucayan, the winner of the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup last December and the Group 1 French 2000 Guineas in 2012, is sidelined with injury. Drysdale said he was not sure yet how long Lucayan will be sidelined.

Fire With Fire won his third stakes of 2014 in the $201,000 Whittingham Stakes, over 1 1/4 miles on turf. Ridden by Tyler Baze, Fire With Fire ($16.60) closed from sixth in a field of nine to catch stretch leader Segway in the final furlong. Quick Casablanca, the 7-5 favorite, finished a neck behind Segway.

The style of the win was a change from Fire With Fire’s victory in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Handicap over 1 1/2 miles on turf in March when he led throughout.

“He showed a different dimension,” Drysdale said. “The stars aligned for him. He was in a good position. When Quick Casablanca came to him, he tried really hard. “

Owned by David Heerensperger, Fire With Fire, a gelding by Distored Humor, has won 7 of 32 starts and $655,354.Earlier this year, Fire With Fire won the minor Cotton Fitzsimmons Handicap at Turf Paradise and was second to Quick Casablanca in the Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes here in April.

The Whittingham was previously run at Hollywood Park, which closed for development in December. In recent years, the Whittingham was followed on the Southern California calendar of turf stakes by the $100,000 Sunset Handicap over 1 1/2 miles at Hollywood Park in July.

The Sunset is not being run this year. Instead, Santa Anita delayed the running of the $200,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap over about 1 3/4 miles on turf from its customary position in late April to June 29, the final day of the current spring-summer meeting.

Drysdale said Sunday that Fire With Fire may not run in the San Juan. Fire With Fire has not run beyond 1 1/2 miles on turf.

“We haven’t thought about what we’ll do,” Drysdale said. “We haven’t gotten that far.”

Another local option could be the $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf July 20 at Del Mar.