Santa Anita: Fire With Fire controls San Luis Rey from start to finish

ARCADIA, Calif. - Fire With Fire led throughout Saturday’s $196,250 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita, a race marred by a fatal breakdown to 4-5 favorite Vagabond Shoes on the backstretch.

Vagabond Shoes, fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf here last November, was last in the field of five when jockey Victor Espinoza pulled up the 7-year-old gelding. Vagabond Shoes was vanned off with an injury to his left hind leg, and was euthanized, according to track officials.

Fire With Fire ($22.80) ran 1 1/2 miles on turf in 2:25.03, outfinishing stablemate Lucayan by a half-length. The first two finishers are trained by Neil Drysdale.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Fire With Fire led by as much as 1 1/2 lengths, setting a modest early pace of 25.80 and 48.94 seconds. Baze said that Fire With Fire was comfortable on the lead, and that he waited to the stretch to urge the 6-year-old gelding.

“I let him set his own pace,” Baze said. “Neil said, ‘Wait as long as you can.’ He said, ‘Don’t get beat because you moved too soon.’ ”

Lucayan, ridden by Mike Smith, was within a head of Fire With Fire with a quarter-mile remaining, but could not get closer.

“If I had to do over again, I would have moved a little earlier,” Smith said.

Temeraine, the 5-2 second choice, finished third, followed by Niagara Falls.

Espinoza said that Vagabond Shoes was bumped by Niagara Falls after the start.

“He had a different energy after that,” he said. “I didn’t want to push him. I wanted to take my time. When I went to make a move, I head something go pop and I pulled him up as soon as I could.”

Owned by Hronis Racing and trained by John Sadler, Vagabond Shoes won 8 of 30 starts and earned $665,747. He was a four-time stakes winner, including the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes here on Feb. 8.

Fire With Fire races for Dave Heerensperger. By Distorted Humor, Fire With Fire has won 6 of 30 starts and $515,354. The Grade2 San Luis Rey Stakes was his first graded stakes win, and his fourth stakes win, all in the last year.