Firenze Fire points to fourth straight BC appearance

ELMONT, N.Y. - Firenze Fire came out of his victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park in good order and will target a fourth straight appearance in the Breeders’ Cup when he runs in the $2 million Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

A 5-year-old son of Poseidon’s Warrior, Firenze Fire at 2 ran seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, at 3 was fourth in the Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs and at 4 finished fifth in the Sprint at Santa Anita. He will again target the Sprint, a race for which he earned an automatic entry by winning the Vosburgh.

“I see it as wide open,” trainer Kelly Breen said Sunday. “We’re a horse that has tactical speed. I like our chances. He could be the hot horse going into the Breeders’ Cup.”

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Belmont Clocker Report

Though Firenze Fire has won races over six different tracks, he excels at Belmont Park, where he improved his record to 5 wins from 8 starts, all five being stakes victories.

Firenze Fire has never raced at Keeneland, site of this year’s Breeders’ Cup. Breen said he is leaning toward keeping Firenze Fire at Belmont to train before shipping him to Kentucky, though he still needed to discuss that plan with owner Ron Lombardi.

“My first theory is he does train well over at Belmont, so do I keep him here and breeze over a track that he thrives on, and then try to trick him and put him on a plane or a van and get him to Kentucky,” Breen said. “We’ll worry about that in a couple of weeks.”

Breen said Firenze Fire came out of the Vosburgh in good order. He earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for the victory, the eighth triple-digit Beyer of his career. Firenze Fire surpassed the $2 million mark in career earnings with the Vosburgh victory.

Breen hopes to get another horse in the Breeders’ Cup when he sends out It’s a Gamble in next Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Pilgrim Stakes for juveniles at Belmont Park.

It’s a Gamble, also owned by Lombardi’s Mr. Amore Stable, won a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint maiden race at Saratoga on Aug. 13. Breen said he wants to give the son of English Channel a chance to stretch out in distance. The Pilgrim is run at 1 1/16 miles. Breen said he was debating between the Pilgrim and the Grade 3, $100,000 Futurity at six furlongs on turf on Oct. 11.

“He’s always strong at the end of his workouts,” Breen said. “Is he a closing sprinter, or is he supposed to go two turns? Only one way to find out.”

It’s a Gamble worked a strong five furlongs in 1:00.88 over Belmont’s turf course Saturday.