Firenze Fire on target for Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Trainer Jason Servis said Sunday morning that Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire appeared to come out of his victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Champagne in good order after winning the qualifier for the Grade 1, $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 4 at Del Mar. 

Firenze Fire, the only entrant in the 12-horse field to have previously won a graded stakes  - capturing the Grade 3 Sanford on July 22 at Saratoga Race Course - rallied from 10th at the half-mile mark to win the Champagne's 146th edition by a half-length.

Servis said Firenze Fire, who has three wins in his first four career starts, is on target to run in the Breeders' Cup after earning the all-expenses paid berth.

His stablemate, Full of Run, finished eighth in his stakes debut after winning his first start on August 26 at Monmouth Park.

"Both appear to have come out of the race OK," Servis said. "Firenze Fire ran great and everyone is happy."

The win marked Servis' seventh career graded stakes victory and his first in a Grade 1. He has three of those wins in the current campaign, including Actress' win in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan.

"It feels great," said Servis, who won his first graded stakes in 2008 with American Border finding the winner's circle in the Grade 3 Violet.

Firenze Fire, a 2-year-old Poseidon's Warrior colt, earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for his win. The Florida homebred's only off-the-board career finish came with a fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 Hopeful on September 4 at the Spa.