Stevens High on Derby Runner-Up Firing Line
Arnold
Zetcher’s Firing Line, who arrived at Pimlico from Louisville with
American Pharoah, Dortmund and two other Preakness entrants Wednesday afternoon, jogged Thursday morning in the company of a pony.
“We
didn’t want to do too much with him today. He’s feeling well and has
really settled in well. He’ll gallop in the morning,” said trainer Simon
Callaghan, who saddled Firing Line for a second-place finish behind
American Pharoah after a furious stretch battle in the Kentucky Derby.
Jockey
Gary Stevens was on hand to watch the morning activity and expressed
confidence in his Preakness mount, who will be breaking from the
far-outside No. 8 post.
“I’m
very relaxed and confident. We got a great draw. I saw him on the track
this morning and getting off the van yesterday, and he’s very relaxed
and confident too,” the Hall of Fame jockey said. “It’s a good spot to
be in.”
Stevens
also loved the spot he was in with Firing Line on the turn into the
Churchill Downs homestretch aboard Firing Line, who closely stalked
pacesetter Dortmund around the first turn and along the backstretch.
“At
the three-eighths pole, five-sixteenths pole, I would have bet all of
my belongings that I was sitting on the winner,” said Stevens, who has
ridden three Preakness winners – Oxbow (2013), Point Given (2001) and
Silver Charm (1997).
Firing
Line overtook Dortmund but was unable to hold off the stretch-long
drive of American Pharoah, who scored by a length over the tenacious
runner-up.
“It showed what a great horse American Pharoah is. Firing Line took him to the well and he took us to the well. They were giving it everything they had. It was a great horse race,” Stevens said.
The 52-year-old jockey obviously would have preferred Firing Line won the Derby, but he was more than satisfied with the son of Line of David’s performance.
“I was confident going into the Derby. There were so many skeptics going into the Derby about him getting a mile and a quarter, but having ridden him twice previously and getting on him in the morning, I didn’t have a doubt in my mind. I don’t think Simon had a doubt in his mind,” he said. “Even though he didn’t win, it sort of vindicated him. He put that to rest. There’s no doubt about his desire to win and fight. That’s one of his greatest assets.”
Source: Maryland Jockey Club