Firenze Fire survives in Gallant Bob Stakes

Firenze Fire survived a stretch-long bid from Whereshetoldmetogo, who tried to savage the leader nearing the wire, to register a popular neck victory in the $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes Saturday at Parx Racing.

Seven Trumpets finished third in the Grade 3 dash for 3-year-olds.

Firenze Fire, who won the Grade 3 Dwyer and finished third in the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens in his only two starts since the Kentucky Derby, raced forwardly placed from the outset under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. after breaking alertly from the extreme outside post in a scratched-reduced field of eight.

Firenze Fire readily overtook the tiring Forced after angling wide on the turn, then repulsed a determined bid from Whereshetoldmetogo, who turned his head and attempted to take a bite out of the leader in the shadow of the finish line.

Seven Trumpets broke slowly, moved within easy striking distance of the leaders while kept in the deeper going nearest the inside entering the stretch. He could not sustain the bid, and finished another two lengths farther back in third. Engage, Smooth B, Earned Success, Forced, and War Giant rounded out the order of finish.

Firenze Fire, a son of Poseidon’s Warrior, is trained by Jason Servis for the Mr. Amore Stable. He completed six furlongs over a fast but somewhat cuppy racetrack in 1:11.27 and paid $4.80. He got a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

“The horse ran super,” Servis said. “We go to the Breeders’ Cup now. We have the option to do the Mile or the Sprint. I’ll talk to Ron (owner-breeder Ron Lombardi). We’ll see.”

“He tried to bite me,” Ortiz said when asked about the bizarre incident that took place in deep stretch of the Gallant Bob. “Jeremy (Rose, aboard Whereshetoldmetogo) told me he tried to bite me, but nothing happened.”