Firenze Fire romps in Fabulous Strike Stakes; Servis brothers sweep trio of stakes

Brothers Jason and John Servis swept the three stakes races on Wednesday night at Penn National, with Firenze Fire, trained by Jason Servis, romping to victory in the richest event of the night, the $200,000 Fabulous Strike Stakes.

Heavily favored Firenze Fire ($2.40), with Irad Ortiz Jr. in to ride, pressed the pace of longshot Dupree through an opening quarter-mile in 21.69 seconds and the half-mile in 45 seconds flat. He took over once straightened away into the lane and quickly opened up, ridden out in the final stages to win by 4 1/4 lengths. He finished the six furlongs in 1:09.33.

Firenze Fire, a son of Poseidon's Warrior, races as a homebred for Mr. Amore Stables. This was just the second victory in eight starts this season for the colt, but he came in to the Fabulous Strike off a series of outstanding performances. He finished second by three lengths in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga as Mitole established a track record; was beaten a nose by another divisional standout, Imperial Hint, in the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont; and then checked in fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita, won by Mitole.

Firenze Fire won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes and Grade 3 Sanford Stakes as a juvenile in 2017, and last year captured a pair of Grade 3 events, the Dwyer and the Gallant Bob stakes.

Earlier on the card, the Servis brothers swept the exacta in the $100,000 Swatara Stakes, as Monongahela rolled by three lengths to give Jason Servis a training double, with Someday Jones, trained by John Servis, checking in second.

Monongahela ($7.80) completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.01 under jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. The 5-year-old Pennsylvania-bred son of K One King, races for Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Gary Aisquith. This was his second stakes victory of the season, as he earlier won the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes in June at Monmouth Park. He owns seven career stakes placings, including a runner-up finish in last year's Swatara.

Someday Jones closed from last in the field of seven to edge favored Name Changer, who was making his first start since December 2018, by a half-length for second. The son of John Servis's popular dual classic winner Smarty Jones had previously finished second in the M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile Stakes at Parx Racing; the winner of that event, Spun to Run, subsequently captured the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

John Servis did pick up a victory on the card as Precious ($8), who is out of a Smarty Jones mare, rolled by three lengths in the $100,000 Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies for statebreds. Newell Thoroughbreds' homebred Fed Biz filly, who was ridden to victory by Trevor McCarthy, is unbeaten in two starts after winning her debut in October at Parx.