Firenze Fire posts sharp half-mile breeze for Breeders' Cup Sprint
Mr. Amore Stable's multiple graded-stakes winner Firenze Fire worked four furlongs in 48 flat Thursday on the Belmont training track in preparation for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) on November 7 at Keeneland.
The 5-year-old Poseidon's Warrior bay was scheduled to work on Friday, but trainer Kelly Breen said he opted to move the breeze up one day due to inclement weather.
"If he didn't mind the off track we could have waited until tomorrow, but he really doesn't like the off track. We called the audible and everything went well," said Breen. "It was a very good work. It had just started to rain and the track was fast. It was harrowed. He breezed well. It was a smooth last breeze before a big race."
Exercise rider Jose Martinez was aboard for the solo work.
Jose Lezcano, aboard for Firenze Fire's last-out Grade 2 Vosburgh Invitational win on September 26 at Belmont, is slated to ride in the Sprint. Firenze Fire will fly to Kentucky on Monday and arrive at Keeneland that afternoon.
"I'm very happy with him," said Breen. "It was a smooth workout, he came back great. All systems go."
The 5-year-old Florida homebred secured his fifth win at Belmont last out with a prominent score in the Grade 2 Vosburgh that earned a 101 Beyer and an automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Sprint via the Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" Challenge Series.
Breen took over training duties for Firenze Fire earlier this year and has saddled the horse to a record of two wins from five starts that also includes a score in the Grade 2 True North on June 27 on a fast Belmont main track. Two of Firenze Fire's losses for Breen came in Grade 1 events - the Runhappy Carter Handicap at Belmont and the Forego presented by America's Best Racing at Saratoga - on sloppy tracks.
"I think he's a straightforward horse," said Breen. "He was a nice horse when I got him and he's continued to be a nice horse. He looks like a nice horse, he trains like a nice horse and he runs like a nice horse."
The veteran conditioner, who won the 2011 Belmont Stakes with Ruler On Ice, said he has paid close attention to Firenze Fire throughout his career.
"I've trained horses for the owner for many years and I've been watching him and all his races. I saw him run well at Laurel [winning the Grade 3 General George in February] and we talked this morning about how well he's run at Belmont," said Breen. "But he's also done well at other tracks. For me, he's done well and it's happened to be at Belmont but also on fast tracks. If you take out the muddy tracks, he's run two very good races for me. I think if he takes to the track at Keeneland, which I think that he will, I think he'll have a good chance of running well in the Sprint."
Breen said he is looking forward to the Breeders' Cup experience with Firenze Fire, who boasts a record of 29-12-3-2 with purse earnings in excess of $2 million.
"It's nice to have a chance to race for $2 million and have a horse that's training well, coming off of a win. It's exciting," said Breen. "There's going to be some speed and there will be some new shooters. You have [Steve] Asmussen's undefeated horse that's an extremely nice horse [Yaupon], but it's the whole field. You don't get to the Breeders' Cup without having a quality horse. The whole field is nice. Anybody can win it and I'm glad to have an opportunity with a horse like this."