Fire Key wins License Fee Stakes in blanket finish

When Fire Key won her maiden back in September 2016, she did so in front-running fashion.

Her other six victories since then, including three-stakes, were achieved by coming from off the pace.

On Sunday, jockey Jose Ortiz put Fire Key on the lead coming out of the gate, and the 6-year-old mare held on by the smallest of noses over Broadway Run to win the $125,000 License Fee Stakes at Belmont Park. It was another nose back to Fear No Evil in third.

Mrs. Ramona G. finished fourth, followed by Albertville and Misericorida. Goldwood was scratched.

The win was the eighth from 28 starts for Fire Key, a New York-bred daughter of Friesan Fire owned by Ed McEneaney’s Backwards Stable and saddled for the first time by trainer Jim Ryerson.

Ryerson, who only received the horse two weeks ago after Fire Key spent the winter in South Florida with Joe Catanese, said he didn’t give Ortiz any set instructions in the paddock. But he was surprised that Fire Key was on the lead from the start.

“He’s ridden her before – what am I going to tell him?” Ryerson said. “He knew the horse, and he knew the makeup of the race. He was a little surprised that nobody wanted to go.

“It may not be her best way of going, but he didn’t have to fight her to get her back, and thankfully it worked out.”

Fire Key went winless in four starts at Gulfstream this winter but was her own worst enemy in a couple of them, breaking poorly at least twice.

On Sunday, she broke on top and was able to get a one-length advantage over Mrs. Ramona G. while running a modest quarter of 23.26 seconds over a turf course labeled “yielding.” Fire Key maintained that margin through a half-mile in 47.10 seconds and came to the eighth pole with a 1 1/2-length lead.

Inside the sixteenth pole, Broadway Run, on the far outside, and Fear No Evil, in between, were coming, but Fire Key was saved by the wire.

Fire Key covered the six furlongs in 1:10.99 and returned $4.70 as the favorite.

“She broke really well, and she was comfortable where she was,” Ortiz said. “It wasn’t may plan to be up front, but I knew she was going easy enough and was relaxed. The fractions were soft early, and she punched home.”

Ryerson said Fire Key would likely be pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes going seven furlongs at Belmont on June 6.