Firenze Fire romps to win Belmont Park's Dwyer Stakes

Going into the Kentucky Derby, eventual 11th-place finisher Firenze Fire was characterized as a tired horse who didn't want the 1 1/4-mile distance. Given two months off and a cut back to a mile, the Jason Servis trainee flourished Saturday, romping home in Belmont Park's Grade 3, $300,000 Dwyer Stakes.

And this field was a good one, including the Grade 1 winner Mendelssohn, Grade 2 winner Noble Indy and Rugbyman, a well-regarded runner just starting from the Graham Motion barn.

It was open lengths back to any of them after Firenze Fire made a wide, sweeping move to the lead through the turn and never looked back under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

The final time was a crisp 1:33.74.

"We got on the Derby trail, like you're supposed to do," Servis said. "Do we think he's a mile and a quarter horse? Probably not. But, now we're getting him where he needs to be, a mile, seven eighths, where he might even be a tad sharper. I mean, it all worked out. We're all real happy."

Seven Trumpets ran second, and Mendelssohn managed third after dueling on the early lead with Noble Indy. They cruised through an opening half mile in 23.53 seconds, then quickened to finish the half in 45.98.

A son of Poseidon's Warrior, the Mr. Amore Stable homebred Firenze Fire sat fifth early, went four wide through the turn and from there went by Mendelssohn with ease.

"I expected him to run a big race, but I didn't think he would gallop out like that," Ortiz said. "I'm so happy to see the way he did it."

Oh, and they knew. Firenze Fire walked to the gate at 6-1, but went off as the 5-2 second choice, sure to raise a few eyebrows. His speciality, however, is the one-turn mile with wins in the Champagne (G1) and Jerome Stakes his most-recent scores.