Under The Radar: Firing Line
It’s that time of year again! With the Kentucky Oaks now in the books, all attention now focuses solely on the Kentucky Derby. Nineteen three-year-olds will head to the gate tomorrow for one of the deepest renditions of the Derby in recent memory.
I usually start constructing my Derby list about 100 days out from the race but keep an eye out for two-year-olds at the end of the season who I believe can carry their form over to their three-year-old season and have an impact on the Derby trail. December 20th of last year one particular horse caught my eye, so about a month or so later I put him atop my first Derby list. Nineteen weeks after I first pinpointed him as my potential Derby horse, and never moving from that #1 spot on my list, Firing Line will make his way to the starting gate as the fourth betting choice for the 141st Kentucky Derby.
So, why Firing Line? I’ve been asked this multiple times for nearly the past five months. I’m not quite sure exactly what drew me to him that first time I watched him lose by a head to Dortmund in the Los Alamitos Futurity, but over the course of this year he has reminded me why I stubbornly kept him as my Derby horse all this time.
In only two races this year he has proven to me two factors which I consider very important when looking for a Derby horse. In his first start of the year Firing Line met up with the big horse, Dortmund, yet again in the Robert B. Lewis. And again he lost on the wire by a head. Although he lost, he still to this day is the only horse to have ever matched strides with Dortmund. And he still to this day is the only horse who ever passed Dortmund. Yes, he lost, but he lost after being floated the widest of all around the first turn and making his move earlier than usual before engaging in a stretch duel with a horse who completely dwarfs him, yet he still only lost by a head. He proved his toughness and did so against one of the best and grittiest horses in the nation.
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Last out in the Sunland Derby, Firing Line blew to a 14 ¼ length paid workout while breaking the nine furlong track record in 1:47.39. He was hounded by waves of horses pushing him on the lead through fractions of 22.33, 45.39, 1:09.12, and 1:34.70 before drawing away under an easy hand ride. Although the competition he faced in that race was clearly not the best, he proved his ability to race up on a blazing pace under pressure from multiple other horses before blowing out to a dominating score.
Of course, there are the negatives. His pedigree is questionable for the distance and the caliber of horses he faced last out were not close to the best. But, in my opinion, the positives outweigh the negatives. He has an absolutely beautiful draw in post 10 with Hall of Famer Gary Stevens in the irons. He’s breathing fire in the mornings and looks incredible on the track. And he’s still only ever been separated by a head to the horse many consider to be the best three-year-old in the country. Even though he was tabbed as the 12-1 fourth choice on the morning line, I still think Firing Line is hovering just under the radar for a big splash in Derby 141.
So, tomorrow I’ll be cheering for the horse who I’ve been touting for the Derby ever since the Los Alamitos Futurity and hoping that he can finally get his revenge over his old rival and swap the result. Derby 141 is bound to be an incredible one with its depth of field. Best of luck to everyone else, and happy Derby!