Chelsea Durand Photo

Firenze Fire posts sharp half-mile breeze for BC Sprint

by NYRA Press Office

• Pletcher breezes trio of Breeders' Cup contenders Thursday
• Cigar Mile (G1) the end-of-the-year goal for Mind Control

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 Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint 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."

Among the 17 horses pre-entered for the Breeders' Cup Sprint are C Z Rocket [Peter Miller], Collusion Illusion [Mark Glatt], Diamond Oops [Patrick Biancone], Echo Town [Asmussen], Empire of Gold [Terry Eoff], Frank's Rockette [Bill Mott], Hog Creek Hustle [Vickie Foley], Jasper Prince [Hideyuki More], Manny Wah [Wayne Catalano], Nashville [Asmussen], Vekoma [George Weaver], Whitmore [Ron Moquett] and Yaupon [Asmussen]. Not selected into the field but listed in order of preference are Bon Raison [Jack Sisterson], Lasting Legacy [Bob Hess] and Pingxiang [Mori].

Mr. Amore Stable's New York homebred It's a Gamble will exit post 10 in Saturday's open $80,000 Awad at 1 1/16-miles on the Belmont inner turf for juveniles.

The English Channel bay rallied from last-of-10 to win on debut in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for state-breds on August 13 at the Spa. He followed with an even fourth in the Nownownow on October 4 at one-mile on the Monmouth turf.

Breen said he had also considered entering It's a Gamble in the $80,000 Atlantic Beach, a six-furlong turf sprint on November 6 on Opening Day of the Aqueduct fall meet.

"I had the option to run him six furlongs on the grass opening weekend at Aqueduct but I'm hoping the distance is good for him," said Breen. "I think he's a nice enough horse to go in a distance race. Hopefully, he enjoys a distance of ground and he can come running."

Breen said It's a Gamble will run regardless of surface and weather conditions on Saturday.

"Rain or shine, he's good to run on the main track. He's doing well," said Breen.

***

Pletcher breezes trio of Breeders' Cup contenders Thursday

Trainer Todd Pletcher managed to catch a fast dirt training track just before rain showers came through the Elmont area Thursday with juvenile Breeders' Cup aspirants Mutasaabeq [Juvenile Turf], Likeable [Juvenile] and Union Gables [Juvenile Fillies Turf and second preference Juvenile Turf Sprint] putting together final preparations.

The Pletcher trio were sent to the Belmont Park training track around 7:45 a.m. under overcast skies and temperatures in the low 50's. A winner of the Grade 2 Bourbon on October 4 over the Keeneland turf last out, Shadwell Stables' Mutasaabeq completed his half-mile breeze in 49.49 seconds.

GMP Stables and F Bellavia's Union Gables registered a half-mile work in 49.25, while Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Stonestreet Stable's Likeable went five furlongs in 1:00.85.

"I was pleased with all of them. I was happy to get them in before all of the rain hit," said Pletcher, a winner of 11 total Breeders' Cup races. "We were right on schedule and everything went according to plan. It was pretty much a maintenance work. All of the major work has already been completed, so we were just putting the finishing touches on them. I just wanted them to ensure that they still have good energy, are maintaining form and moving well."

Pletcher will seek a third victory in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile with Likeable, who broke his maiden at second asking over the main track at Belmont Park. The son of freshman sire Frosted led at every point of call to win by an open maiden special weight by at one mile on Big Sandy on September 19 by 8 ¼ lengths registering an 81 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mutasaabeq will look to provide Pletcher a second win in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf after saddling Team Valor's Pluck to victory in 2010.

Pletcher, who is three wins shy of his 5,000th career win, also seeks a second victory in the Juvenile Fillies Turf with graded stakes placed Union Gables. He won the 2010 Juvenile Fillies Turf with More Than Real. Should Union Gables take part in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Pletcher would also be looking for a second score after capturing the inaugural running in 2018 with WinStar Farm's Bulletin.

Pletcher's remaining Belmont-based Breeders' Cup contingent, including Grade 1 winners Valiance [Distaff] and Halladay [Mile] are scheduled to put together their final Breeders' Cup preparations on Saturday morning over the Belmont training track.

***

Cigar Mile (G1) the end-of-the-year goal for Mind Control

Trainer Gregg Sacco said he is focused in on the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile on December 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack with two-time Grade 1-winner Mind Control.

Owned by Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable, the son of Stay Thirsty is a four-time stakes winner over the Big A main track including his first two starts of 2020 when taking the Grade 3 Toboggan and the Grade 3 Tom Fool. Before seeking a fifth stakes win at Aqueduct however, Mind Control will have one prep race in the seven-furlong $150,000 Lafayette on November 7 at Keeneland.

"The plan is to run in the Lafayette at Keeneland and then from there the end of the year goal would be the Cigar Mile," Sacco said.

Mind Control is winless in four starts since taking the Tom Fool, including two third-place finishes in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and most recently, the Mr. Prospector on September 12 at Monmouth Park. He was unplaced in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter on June 6 at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Forego on August 29 at Saratoga.

"He's been an unlucky horse this year," Sacco said. "The Carter was pushed back and away from Aqueduct, which appears to be his favorite track, and he caught a sloppy track that day. He ran a dynamite race in the Vanderbilt behind Volatile and we all know how good he was. In his last race at Monmouth, it was a speed favoring track and he got pinched down on the backside and got caught wide on the turn, but he galloped out very strong."

Sacco said Mind Control is scheduled to race in 2021.

"The plan is for him to run at five," Sacco said. "He's been a pleasure to train and have around the barn, so I'm very excited to have him around another year."

Mind Control secured both of his Grade 1 scores at Saratoga, including the 2018 Hopeful and last year's H. Allen Jerkens.

Sacco could be looking at a big weekend on the NYRA circuit sending out It Can Be Done in Saturday's $80,000 Awad and Psychic Ability in Sunday's $80,000 Chelsey Flower, both of whom also are owned by Red Oak Stable.

Fresh off a victory in the Nownownow at Monmouth Park, It Can Be Done was six lengths in front in the early stages of his most recent engagement and maintained the lead throughout, winning by 2 ½ lengths. This was his first start after a third-out maiden win over the Monmouth Park main track, which he won by 4 ¼ lengths.

"The race was visually impressive," Sacco said. "He set fractions that day and when they tried to catch him, he just kicked on."

Sacco raced It Can Be Done with blinkers for his first pair of starts, where he was a distant third before moving to the grass and finishing a close second.

"He came to us last spring. He was one of the early developing horses on the farm and was a hot horse to handle as a baby," Sacco said. "He was a bit green in his first race, which was on dirt and with his breeding we wanted to try turf. We decided to take the blinkers off before he broke his maiden. He trained with them on, he was all over the place in the morning. He'll probably get a bit of a freshening after this race, so we're looking forward to Saturday. He's coming off two nice works at Monmouth so we're confident he'll run a good race."

One of three stakes winners in the deep field, It Can Be Done will break from post 11 in the dozen-horse field under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Psychic Ability will attempt to parlay a maiden victory at fourth asking into stakes company in the Chesley Flower.

"We always thought she would run well on turf, and we hope she builds off her last race," Sacco said.