Firenze Fire, Pletcher Trio Post Works at Belmont

Mr. Amore Stable's multiple graded stakes winner Firenze Fire worked four furlongs in :48 Oct. 29 on the Belmont Park training track in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

The 5-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior was scheduled to work Oct. 30, but trainer Kelly Breen said he opted to move up the breeze 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," Breen said. "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 Vosburgh Stakes (G2) win Sept. 26 at Belmont, is slated to ride in the Sprint. Firenze Fire will fly to Kentucky Nov. 2 and arrive at Keeneland that afternoon.

"I'm very happy with him," Breen said. "It was a smooth workout, he came back great. All systems go."

Breen took over training duties for Firenze Fire this year from Jason Servis and has saddled the horse to two wins from five starts, including a score in the True North Stakes (G2) June 27 on a fast Belmont track. Two of Firenze Fire's losses for Breen—the Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1) at Belmont and the Forego Stakes Presented by America's Best Racing (G1) at Saratoga Race Course—were run on sloppy tracks.

"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," Breen said. "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."

Trainer Todd Pletcher managed to catch a fast dirt training track just before rain showers came through the Elmont, N.Y., area with juvenile Breeders' Cup aspirants Mutasaabeq, Likeable, and Union Gables putting together final preparations.

The Pletcher trio were sent to the Belmont Park training track around 7:45 a.m. ET under overcast skies and temperatures in the low 50s. Shadwell Stable's Mutasaabeq, who won the Bourbon Stakes (G2T) Oct. 4 on the Keeneland turf last out, completed his half-mile breeze in :49.49.

GMP Stables and F Bellavia's Union Gables registered a half-mile work in :49.25, and Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, and Stonestreet Stables' 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 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 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) with Likeable, who broke his maiden at second asking on the main track at Belmont Park. The son of freshman sire Frosted  led at every point of call to win a maiden special weight by 8 1/4 lengths Sept. 19, registering an 81 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mutasaabeq will look to provide Pletcher a second win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coomore America (G1T) after saddling Team Valor's Pluck to victory in 2010.

Pletcher, who is closing in on 5,000 wins, also seeks a second victory in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) with graded stakes-placed Union Gables. He won the 2010 Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2T) with More Than Real. Should Union Gables take part in the Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T), Pletcher would also be looking for a second score after capturing the inaugural running in 2018 with WinStar Farm's Bulletin.