Firing Line Dominates in the Sunland Derby

Arnold Zetcher LLC’s Firing Line took an ostensible vacation to New Mexico this weekend and managed to get his passport stamped for the 2015 Kentucky Derby with the greatest of ease.

The sophomore son of Line of David got a brief respite from his Southern California base, where he has had the misfortune of meeting red-hot Derby contender Dortmund in his first two stakes attempts. This time, with his archrival missing (Dortmund is pointed instead to the Santa Anita Derby), Firing Line posted a commanding victory in the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby, drawing off by 14 1/4 lengths under a hand ride to pick up 50 Derby points and set his crosshairs on the first Saturday in May.

With the services of Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, Firing Line broke from his inside post position and settled just off of early leader Why Two to his outside. Passing the early quarters in :22.33 and :45.39, the field packed together for the first half-mile with Malibu Mogul, Pain and Misery and Dirt Monster joining the fray.

Firing Line slipped away from his competitors while knocking out three-quarters of a mile in 1:09.12, the mile in 1:34.70, and opened up daylight on the field to complete the 1 1/8 mile route in 1:47.39.

After breaking slowly, early trailer Where’s the Moon rallied in the stretch to get up for second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Pain and Misery. Tiznow R J was another half-length back in fourth. Dirt Monster, Why Two and Malibu Mogul completed the order of finish. The Bob Baffert-trained Lord Nelson was the lone scratch.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Firing Line was the overwhelming favorite in the seven-horse field, hovering at odds of 1-9 during much of the wagering and ultimately going to post as the 1-5 betting choice. The winner returned $2.40 for the win.

Stevens, who picked up the mount on Firing Line in the Robert B. Lewis, praised the development of his colt. “He’s been battletested in his last race with Dortmund,” he said after the race. “It was nice to get an easy one into him today. I think Simon picked the right race for him, we’ve got an extra week before the Derby.”

Twice hard beaten by the undefeated Dortmund, first in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity last December and again on Feb. 7 in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita, Firing Line picks up his second career win, and first stakes score, in his fifth career start.

It will be that sixth career start, however, that will matter the most as Firing Line is now poised to face Dortmund once again in the Run for the Roses.

By Heather Pettinger