Firenze Fire upsets Sanford

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » It’s been 40 years since the Sanford Stakes was last won by a horse who went on to win the Kentucky Derby. A couple of Sanford winners have come pretty close since, Forty Niner in 1987 and Afleet Alex in 2004. But the last horse to put together the Sanford/Derby double — and for all anyone knows, the last one ever — was Affirmed.

The latest Sanford winner to try will be Firenze Fire. The twoyear-old son of Poseidon’s Warrior, the second-longest shot on the board at 12-1, took command of the $150,000, Grade 3 race in mid-stretch and went on to score a one-length win. Free Drop Billy, the 3-1 favorite, made up ground late but ran out of room. The running time on a fast main track was 1 minute, 11.50 seconds.

Psychoanalyze finished third,

5¼ lengths behind Free Drop Billy. Baffin, Bal Harbour, Admiral Jimmy, Direct Dial and Nauti Buoy followed.

“The horse has always been very classy, but when he won first time (out), I was a little surprised,” said winning trainer Jason Servis. “I really was. We thought this was where we’ve got to take a shot and it all worked out, which is very exciting.”

Baffin broke on top and took a 1½-length lead into the turn, with favored Direct Dial his closest pursuer. Firenze Fire improved his position on the turn, moving up to confront the leader at the quarter-pole. The Florida-bred colt, put to the task with some serious encouragement from Irad Ortiz Jr, was clear by two lengths at the eighth pole and was not seriously threatened the rest of the

way.

“He did everything right,” said Ortiz, who won with his third of four winners on the day. “I threw the reins at him, and he really liked it. He was worked really good in the mornings, so he’s in good condition. Hopefully, he stays sound and healthy.”

The Sanford victory came in Firenze Fire’s second start, the first having been a maiden win at Monmouth on June 18. The New Jersey-based colt, a Mr. Amore Stable homebred, is the fifth winner and first stakes winner for Poseidon’s Warrior, whose biggest win came in the 2012 A. G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

Speaking of the future, Servis said, “I think he’ll run long. I asked Irad, and he thinks he’ll run long. He think he’ll get seveneighths [the distance of the Hopeful on Sept. 4]. I think he’ll get a mile, mile and a quarter, really. He’s that kind of horse.”