Fire With Fire prevails in three-horse photo in Charles Whittingham

ARCADIA, Calif.- Fire With Fire caught stretch leader Segway in the final furlong, all the while holding off a late threat from 7-5 favorite Quick Casablanca, to win his third stakes of 2014 in Saturday’s $201,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita.

To win the Grade 2 Whittingham, jockey Tyler Baze guided Fire With Fire ($16.60) from off the pace instead of using the front-running style that worked in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf in March.

“We discovered he didn’t have to be on the lead,” winning trainer Neil Drysdale said. “In his last few races, he’s finished really well.”

Fire With Fire finished a neck in front of 3-1 Segway, who was a neck in front of Quick Casablanca in an exciting finish. In the final furlong, it appeared that any of the first three could win. Irish Surf, Bright Thought, Soi Phet, Dr Action, African Oil, and Joelito completed the order of finish.

Fire With Fire ran 1 1/4 miles on turf in 2:00.92.

“The race set up well,” Drysdale said. “When Quick Casablanca came up at him, he went.”

Baze had Fire With Fire in sixth-place in the field of nine for the first six furlongs, racing about four lengths from the front.

Bright Thought, the winner of the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes in March 2013, and the longshot Soi Phet fought through a solid pace of 23.42 and 46.78 seconds. On the turn, Segway took command, leading by 2 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining.

But Fire With Fire and Quick Casablanca closed well on the outside to finish between Segway.

Fire With Fire, a 6-year-old gelding by Distorted Humor, races for David Heerensperger. Earlier this year, Fire With Fire won the minor Cotton Fitzsimmons Handicap over a mile at Turf Paradise.

Fire With Fire, who is in the midst of his best season, has won 7 of 32 starts and earned $655,354. The Whittingham was Fire With Fire’s fifth stakes win.