Firenze Fire rallies to win the Champagne

With a rally down the middle of the track, Firenze Fire won the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. The victory earned the Mr. Amore Stable and trainer Jason Servis the $300,000 winner’s share of the purse, a ‘Win and You’re In’ spot in the field of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and 10 qualifying points for the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

Firenze Fire is a homebred for the Mr. Amore Stable by the stallion Poseidon’s Warrior, who stands for a fee of $6,500, and the dam, My Every Wish, was claimed off the racetrack. She was taken in her second start for $16,000 from a maiden race at Aqueduct in what would turn out to be the last race of her career. She was retired to the farm for two years until owner Ron Lombardi decided that she should be bred. Three years later, the unlikely result, is a grade one stakes winner.

Firenze Fire was an immediate success on the track when he won at first asking in a maiden special weight at Monmouth Park in June. Then on opening day at Saratoga, he won the Sanford (G3). The entire meeting passed, and on the last day, he finished fourth in the Hopeful, but came out of the race with a cough. It turned out to be one to draw a line through.

In the Champagne, jockey Irad Ortiz and Firenze Fire got a perfect set-up. There was a contentious pace battle on the front end between Aveenu Malcainu, Honorable Treasure, and Hazit as they wore each other out through fractions of 22.90, 45.94, and 1:10.37. All the while Ortiz was sitting patiently towards the back of the field, as far as 9 ½ lengths behind.

Turning for home all three of the leaders would fall back. Good Magic made the first big closing move and had the lead at the stretch call, but Firenze Fire came on and passed that one to win by a half-length. Enticed, who was in fourth place early on, got the show spot. The final time for the one-turn mile was 1:35.91.

“He broke in front, but I took him back like the way we’ve been working him and it worked out perfectly for us,” said Ortiz. “When I asked him, he exploded. He responded very good. Past the three-eighths pole, I still had some horse and he hadn’t moved yet. He’s been working good, so I knew when I asked him, he was going to be there for me.”

For his career, the winner’s record moved to 4: 3-0-0 with earnings of $429,100. Firenze Fire was sent off at 11-1 and returned $24.00, 9.80, and 5.60 across the board. The $2 exacta with Good Magic paid $170 and the $2 trifecta down to Enticed was worth $1588.

After the race Servis added, "I was really surprised on the turn. Irad was loaded. It looked like he was going to get there, but even Irad said he was loaded. I have to think about it [the Breeders’ Cup]. It'd be hard to get Ron not to go."