Firenze Fire gets back to favorite track in Runhappy Stakes

Firenze Fire has won races at five different tracks, but nowhere has he run better than at Belmont Park, where at age 2 he won the Grade 1 Champagne and at 3 he dominated the Grade 3 Dwyer.

Following a dull seasonal debut at Tampa Bay Downs, Firenze Fire is back at Belmont for his second start of the year in Saturday’s $150,000 Runhappy Stakes going six furlongs.

Though his two victories at Belmont were both at a one-turn mile, Firenze Fire is 2 for 3 at six furlongs with victories in the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga in his 2-year-old year and the Grade 3 Gallant Bob last September at Parx, where he was savaged by runner-up Whereshetoldmetogo near the wire.

Firenze Fire made his 4-year-old debut in the Zaxby’s Sprint, a race restricted to Florida-breds at Tampa. He bobbled at the break, raced wide throughout and finished third, 5 3/4 lengths behind Extravagant Kid.

“We knew he wasn’t tight,” said Henry Argueta, assistant to trainer Jason Servis. “We needed to get a race in him. He’s training great.”

Firenze Fire will break from post 3 under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Skyler’s Scramjet finished second as the 4-5 favorite in last year’s Runhappy. That followed a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Carter.

Saturday, Skyler’s Scramjet enters the Runhappy off a second to World of Trouble in the Grade 1 Carter in what may have been the best race of his career. World of Trouble came back to win the Grade 2 Turf Sprint on Kentucky Oaks Day.

Skyler’s Scramjet may have to deal with some early pressure from Killybegs Captain on Saturday.

Recruiting Ready was second to World of Trouble in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, which was run on dirt due to rain. He came back to win the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint before finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Keeneland with trouble.

“He was going to run good,” trainer Stanley Hough said. “He was on the rail and got hemmed coming up the rail. He likes Belmont.”

A year ago, Recruiting Ready won a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race in the slop here by 1 3/4 lengths, earning a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

Ready to Escape and Bon Raison complete the Runhappy field.

The Runhappy goes as race 9.