Firenze Fire Set for Seasonal Debut in General George

Mr Amore Stable's grade 1-winning millionaire homebred Firenze Fire will make set to make both his seasonal and Maryland debuts Feb. 15 in the $250,000 General George Stakes (G3) at Laurel Park over seven furlongs. 

A son of Poseidon's Warrior, Florida-bred Firenze Fire has won nine of his 23 career starts, with eight of those wins coming in stakes. Trained by Jason Servis, the bay was last seen racing at Aqueduct Racetrack before Christmas, when he landed the Dec. 22 Gravesend Stakes over six furlongs. Prior to that effort, he took the Fabulous Strike Stakes at Penn National, one start after finishing fifth in the Nov. 2. Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park.

"He's a tough horse, seasoned," Servis said. "He's a homebred and I think you've definitely got to single him out from the rest of the crowd. I remember the first time I ran him we didn't expect him to win, and he won. Then we went to Saratoga and I wasn't expecting him to win and he won again. I said, 'Oh, what do we have here?'"

Firenze Fire has raced exclusively in stakes company since his debut triumph at Monmouth Park in June 2017, winning the Sanford (G3) in his second start. His best score came two starts later when he took the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. That victory sent him on the Triple Crown trail the same season as champion Justify , who dominated the sophomore division to become the first ever undefeated Triple Crown winner. 

Coming off the Triple Crown trail, he posted graded wins in the Dwyer Stakes (G3) and Gallant Bob Stakes (G3). While proven at six furlongs, he is winless with one second and one third in three lifetime tries going seven-eighths of a mile.

"I don't think the seven furlongs is a big deal. He won the Dwyer, which is a mile, with a big speed figure so I don't think the distance will be an issue," Servis said. "He's run and won at a lot of different racetracks, so we're going to give it a whirl."

Two-time Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on Firenze Fire from post 6 and the pair will carry the highweight at 122 pounds. Since winning the Gravesend, the experienced sprinter has logged three timed works at Belmont Park ahead his return.

"He didn't really have any break," Servis said. "He ran a couple times close together and we were leaning on him pretty good, so we just wanted to space his next race out."

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Terp Racing's grade 2 winner Still Having Fun will be making his third start off a layoff in the General George. According to connections, the General George has been the intended target for the 5-year-old Old Fashioned gelding since he returned to his barn last fall off a five-month break.

"This has always been kind of our short-term goal with him. I know it's going to be a tough field, but the reality is every race we run him in is tough. We want to see how he can compete against these guys," said trainer Timothy Keefe. "We do have the benefit this time, of walking out of our stall and being here at our home track, which certainly is going to benefit us I believe. Hopefully we get a good trip."

Still Having Fun placed second against fellow Maryland-breds in the six-furlong Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Dec. 7, beaten a neck in his first race in seven months. Last out, he set the pace for a half-mile before tiring to fifth behind grade 1 winner Mind Control in the seven-furlong Toboggan Stakes (G3) Jan. 18 at Aqueduct.

"The way the race set up wasn't really the way we hoped it would up in New York, but he came out of the race super," Keefe said. "Nobody else really wanted (the lead). This horse will do whatever you ask him to do. I was a little bit surprised he was up there, but not completely. We're pleased. I think he's coming into it well."

Last year, Still Having Fun was seventh as the favorite in the General George. 

"He only got beat a few lengths. He'd had a hard campaign with no time off and had been all over the place. We were kind of at the point when I ran him last year where he was a well-run, well-traveled horse," Keefe said. "He had done a lot up to that point. The difference now is this is just his third race back off a long layoff, which I think is a big positive."

Feargal Lynch rides from post 4.

Lady Sheila Stable and Iris Smith Stable's Tiz He the One has posted five wins and two thirds from nine starts at Laurel, earning his lone career stakes win in the seven-furlong Challedon Stakes Sept. 28 in his seasonal finale. Trained by Linda Rice, he returned to finish third, beaten a length, in his 6-year-old debut behind Honor the Fleet in the Jan. 18 Fire Plug Stakes.

Tiz He the One's stablemate Wicked Trick is also entered. The 5-year-old gelding is riding a five-race win streak, the last four since being claimed by Rice for $16,000 last summer at Saratoga Race Course. They will break side-by-side from outside posts 8 and 9, respectively.

Completing the field are Honor the Fleet, Factor It In, Lone Rock, Threes Over Deuces, and Wonderful Light, the final of which is seeking his first career stakes win.

The General George along with the Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for fillies and mares will co-headline a nine-race Winter Carnival program that features five stakes worth $800,000 in purses.

Entries: General George S. (G3)

Laurel Park, Saturday, February 15, 2020, Race 8

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 3:49 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Lone Rock (KY)	Julian Pimentel	120	William I. Mott	-
2	Wonderful Light (KY)	Victor R. Carrasco	120	Michelle Nevin	-
3	Factor It In (KY)	Jorge Ruiz	120	Carlos A. Mancilla	-
4	Still Having Fun (MD)	Feargal Lynch	120	Timothy L. Keefe	-
5	Honor the Fleet (KY)	Alex Cintron	120	Louis Albertrani	-
6	Firenze Fire (FL)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Jason Servis	-
7	Threes Over Deuces (KY)	UNKNOWN	120	Gary Capuano	-
8	Tiz He the One (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	120	Linda Rice	-
9	Wicked Trick (KY)	Jose Lezcano	120	Linda Rice	-