Firenze Fire, a 3 1/2-length debut winner going five furlongs on the Jersey Shore June 18, stayed perfect with a 12-1 upset in the GIII Sanford S. He sat just behind the leaders in fourth through an opening quarter in :22.27. The bay began to roll with a nice move on the far turn and set his sights on the pacesetting Baffin (Justin Phillip) at the top of the stretch. Firenze Fire quickly dispatched that rival, braced for a challenge from the well-bet Free Drop Billy (Shackleford) and dug in nicely down the lane to get the money.
“The horse has always been very classy, but when he won the first time, I was a little surprised, I really was,” winning trainer Jason Servis said. “He won going away and there really wasn't much around. We thought this is where we've got to take a shot and it all worked out, which is very exciting.”
Servis continued, “I think he'll run long. I asked [jockey] Irad [Ortiz Jr.] and he thinks he'll run long. He's kind of laid back. I think he'll get seven-eighths [for the GI Hopeful S. Sept. 4]. I think he'll get a mile, mile and a quarter, really. He's that kind of horse. I'll get with Ron [Lombardi of Mr. Amore Stables]. I know he really wanted to come. I know he's bummed out [that] he couldn't make it, but I just talked to him and he's very excited.”
Pedigree Notes:
Firenze Fire became freshman sire and 2012 GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. hero Poseidon's Warrior's first winner last month and added to his sire's resume here, becoming his first stakes winner. Firenze Fire's dam My Every Wish, second in both of her career attempts, was claimed out of her finale for $16,000 by Mr. Amore Stable and trainer Jason Servis at Aqueduct in April of 2012. Firenze Fire is her first foal.
“It's an interesting story, we claimed the filly [Firenze Fire's dam My Every Wish] and she didn't make it back to the races for whatever reasons and he decided that he was going to breed her,” Servis said. “She didn't have much pedigree but, you know what, three years later, it's really something.”
The $40,000 KEESEP yearling My Every Wish is also represented by an Istan filly of this year. Firenze Fire's second dam is a full-sister to 2011 Broodmare of the Year Oatsee (Unbridled), herself the dam of MGISW Shackleford (Forestry), GISW Lady Joanne (Orientate), MGSW Baghdaria (Royal Academy), MGSW Afleeting Lady (Afleet Alex) and SW & MGSP Stephanoatsee (A.P. Indy).
Saturday, Saratoga
SANFORD S.-GIII, $150,000, SAR, 7-22, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.50, ft.
1–#@FIRENZE FIRE, 120, c, 2, by Poseidon's Warrior
1st Dam: My Every Wish, by Langfuhr
2nd Dam: Mille Lacs, by Unbridled
3rd Dam: With Every Wish, by Lear Fan O/B-Mr Amore Stables (FL); T-Jason Servis; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $111,600. *First stakes winner for freshman sire (by Speightstown). Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”]2–Free Drop Billy, 120, c, 2, Union Rags–Trensa, by Giant's
Causeway. ($200,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family
Stable; B-Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust (KY); T-Dale L.
Romans. $30,000.[bullet ad=”berkelhammer-abracadabra-graduate”][bullet ad=”berkelhammer-shell”][bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”]3–Psychoanalyze, 120, c, 2, Overanalyze–Freud's Irish Miss, by
Freud. ($14,000 RNA Wlg '15 KEENOV). O-Fort Springs Racing;
B-C. W. Swann & Wetherbee Holdings, LLC. (KY); T-Brian A.
Lynch. $15,000.[bullet ad=”hidden-brook-sales-graduate”][bullet ad=”margaux-farm-starting-and-training-grad”]Margins: 1, 5 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 12.50, 3.30, 4.30.
Also Ran: Baffin, Bal Harbour, Admiral Jimmy, Direct Dial, Nauti Buoy. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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