Firenze Fire shows Breen he's ready for Vosburgh

ELMONT, N.Y. – After watching Firenze Fire finish a distant fourth in the Grade 1 Carter this past spring and an even more distant seventh in the Grade 1 Forego in his most recent start, trainer Kelly Breen was reasonably certain it was the wet racetracks that were responsible for those two uncharacteristically poor performances. A Grade 1-placed sprinter, Firenze Fire had won three of his previous four outings on dry land, including the Grade 2 True North here early this summer.

But before fully committing Firenze Fire to the Grade 1 Vosburgh here next Saturday, Breen needed to confirm that notion when he sent the speedster out to work five furlongs over a fast main track Thursday. And as expected, Breen got the confirmation he was looking for when Firenze Fire breezed five furlongs in 59.52 seconds, getting his final quarter in 23.55 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.13.

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“I guess I’m further convinced now he just doesn’t like the mud and we can just throw out his race in the Forego and move forward,” said Breen, who made the drive to Belmont from his Monmouth Park base to be on hand for the drill. “I thought it was a really impressive work. The way he has been training since the Forego, everything pointed towards a good work today. I just needed to see if for myself and make sure he was sitting on go before we totally committed him to the Vosburgh.”

Last year, Firenze Fire finished second in the Forego and Vosburgh, then fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint while under the tutelage of Jason Servis. He was transferred to Breen’s barn shortly after his four-length victory in the Grade 3 General George at Laurel last winter. Firenze Fire was beaten a nose by the odds-on Imperial Hint in the 2019 Vosburgh, which drew just four starters, and a small field is likely in the offing again this year in large part due to the presence of division leader Volatile.

“I can’t control the size of the field or if there will be anyone in there to run early with Volatile,” Breen said. “Nor can I control the weather, so I’m not looking at the long-range forecasts. Right now, I just want the best track, a fast track, for him. That’s all I ask.”

Breen said that Jose Lezcano, who rode Firenze Fire to a win in the Gravesend last winter at Aqueduct, has been given the call for the six-furlong Vosburgh.