Firenze Fire

First Foal For Firenze Fire Arrives in Japan

The first reported foal for nine-time GSW Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) has arrived in Japan, according to a tweet from Yano Farm in Hokkaido. The new filly is a daughter of the 5-year-old mare Wicked Bisou (Wicked Strong), who is out of Diva Delite (Repent) and therefore a half-sister to champion and millionaire Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute). "I was born small, but the best thing is that I am healthy," the tweet reads. Florida-bred Firenze Fire raced over five seasons and amassed a career line of 38-14-7-3, $2,730,350. He won...

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Well-Related Speightstown Firster a New 'Rising Star'

Andiamo a Firenze (c, 2, Speightstown--My Every Wish, by Langfuhr) bossed what appeared on paper to be a well above-average group of state-bred maidens to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' for his outstanding WinStar Farm-based stallion. A close relation to connections' GISW Firenze Fire--by Speightstown's son Poseidon's Warrior ($2,730,350)--the Mr Amore homebred was away like a shot from the inside stall and set a strong pace in advance of the debuting and well-backed filly Danseur d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro), covering the opening quarter in :22.49 over a sloppy main track....

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Firenze Fire Half-Brother Debuts at Belmont Park

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-BEL, $75K, MSW, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:00 p.m. ANDIAMO A FIRENZE (Speightstown), a half-brother to Grade I-winning sprinter Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior), debuts in this spot for trainer Kelly Breen. His older brother won a total of 13 black-type events for Breen and earned over $2.7 million. He is also a half-brother to stakes-placed Firenze Freedom (Istan). The Mr Amore Stable homebred has posted back-to-back bullet works at Belmont, going four furlongs from the gate May 12 in :47 3/5 (1/44) and five furlongs May...

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Poseidon's Warrior Relocating to Texas

GISW Poseidon's Warrior (Speightstown--Poised To Pounce, by Smarten), sire of Grade I winner and multi-millionaire Firenze Fire, is relocating from Pennsylvania to Century Acres in Hempstead, Texas, for the upcoming breeding season in a deal brokered by Jamie LaMonica and Brenden Heeney. He will stand the 2022 season for $3,500 S&N. In addition to Firenze Fire, Poseidon's Warrior is also represented in 2021 by stakes winners Warrior's Pride and Navy Commander.

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Firenze Fire to Stand Stud in Japan

Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior--My Every Wish, by Langfuhr), whose many accomplishments include a win in the GI Champagne S., will be retired after his upcoming start in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and head to Japan, where he will stand stud at Arrow Stud. Owner Ron Lombardi said the offer from Arrow Stud was just one of many he fielded. "I had offers from California, Kentucky, New York, Maryland, Florida and Japan," he said . "I would have liked to have kept him in the U.S., but the Japanese made...

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Acid Test, Baby Yoda Gets in Vosburgh

In a summer full of impressive and promising performances in allowance races at Saratoga, it was the Sept. 4 run of a total no-name who could've been had by anyone in the sport for just $10,000 months earlier that stood out the most on the speed-figure scale. And Saturday, modestly-bred Baby Yoda (Prospective) will try to back that monster effort up while making his stakes debut against four rivals in Belmont's GII Vosburgh S., a Win and You're In qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Debuting for owner Gerald...

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Fire and Nice: Two Sides of Racing's New Knave

He has spread nine graded stakes wins across five seasons, and banked over $2.6 million. And he's a homebred, don't forget: out of a mare claimed for $16,000, topped up by the $6,500 fee for a Poseidon's Warrior cover. An absolute model, you would say, for the kind of blue-collar honesty and hardiness that gives everyone in this business a chance of competing even with those who could afford to do their recruitment in Book I at Keeneland this week. And yet here is Firenze Fire, suddenly notorious the world...

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Taking Stock: A Weekend to Remember

Everything that top-class racing should be was on display over the last weekend. The six Grade l races at Saratoga on Saturday featured most of the leading horses in each division except older dirt males, and as a group they didn't disappoint, did they? Nor did their trainers. One race after another was dramatically decided at or close to the wire, and some of the runners-ups, including the Steve Asmussen-trained Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the Gl Runhappy Travers S. and the Todd Pletcher-conditioned Life is Good (Into Mischief) in the...

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Savage! Yaupon Survives in Wild Stretch Battle in Forego

You had to see it to believe it. With Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) savaging favored Yaupon (c, 4, Uncle Mo--Modification, by Vindication) repeatedly down the stretch in Saturday's GI Forego S. at Saratoga, the 2-1 pacesetter battled on gamely along the rail to secure a dramatic head victory. Chance It (Currency Swap) was third. "I will watch that replay many times in my future," winning trainer Steve Asmussen said. "For that to happen in a Grade I at Saratoga with two horses on the lead, that will be memorable. I...

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Mischevious Alex Back Sprinting in Vanderbilt

Undefeated as a sprinter this season, Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) will turn back to six furlongs after being defeated in the one-mile GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. as a likely favorite in Saturday's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga. Proving himself as an exciting sophomore prospect last season with back-to-back open-lengths scores in the GIII Swale S. and GIII Gotham S., but missed the triple Crown and failed to crack the trifecta in his last two starts for John Servis when fourth in the...

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Firenze Fire Looks to Stay Hot in Nerud

Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) has scored half of his 14 lifetime victories at Belmont and looks to add to that Saturday as the favorite in the GII John A. Nerud S., a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint S. Victorious in this event last year in his second start for the Kelly Breen barn, the Mr. Amore Stable homebred was off the board in his next two attempts in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. and GI Forego S. at Saratoga. Returning to winning ways back...

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This Side Up: Happy Days Here Again

A year that began with the loss of two of the most lavish, Prince Khaled Abdullah and Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, is aptly measuring the reinvigoration of the breed achieved by modern investors from the same deserts where it first took root. Godolphin owes Derby wins at both Epsom and the Curragh to colts by Prince Khaled's greatest bequest, Frankel (GB); while its U.S. division laid down a marker of continuity and vitality when Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) won the G1 Dubai World Cup just three days after its founder's brother...

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