Firenze Fire Closes 2020 in Mr. Prospector

When you think back on the Thoroughbreds who were among the foal crop of 2015, there was one grand superstar in Triple Crown champ Justify  and a host of other talented runners.

Good Magic , Audible , McKinzie , Catholic Boy , Vino Rosso , Monomoy Girl, Midnight Bisou, Rushing Fall, and Firenze Fire are also among the grade 1 winners born that year, most of whom share a common denominator.

From the 10 aforementioned 5-year-olds, only two are still in training.

One is Monomoy Girl, who figures to be the champion older female of 2020, earning her a second Eclipse Award.

The other is a horse who possesses the kind of durability and consistency that is hard to find in any year.

In Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire, trainer Kelly Breen and owner Ron Lombardi have a horse who has won 12 of his 30 starts and will close 2020 by running in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) Dec. 19 at Gulfstream Park. The seven-furlong race will serve as a springboard into a 6-year-old campaign that Lombardi hopes will culminate with a fifth consecutive start in the Breeders' Cup.

"He's one of the few left in his crop," Lombardi said about the $2.2 million earner. "He's sound. He's one of the best horses in his division, and I enjoy running him. I had interest from Kentucky, Florida, New York, Maryland, Japan about breeding him, but I decided to run him one more year. It's such a thrill for me to watch him run. He'll hopefully run throughout the year, and who knows—maybe he'll get his fifth trip to the Breeders' Cup. That would be amazing."

Firenze Fire, the winner of the 2017 Champagne Stakes (G1), was scratched out of the Dec. 5 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack due to a wet track, putting in motion Breen and Lombardi's Plan B for the Florida-bred that includes running in the Mr. Prospector, followed by two more Florida starts, including a Sunshine Millions stakes, before returning to New York for the April 3 Carter Handicap (G1).

The Mr. Prospector will be the first start for the homebred son of Poseidon's Warrior since he finished a troubled third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), 3 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Whitmore.

"He didn't have the best of trips in the Breeders' Cup," Lombardi said about Firenze Fire's best finish from four starts at the World Championships. "He was moving right behind Whitmore, and as soon as Whitmore got through, the hole closed. If he got through, who knows what would have happened, Even with the trouble, he was right there at the end."

The bulky field of 12 also includes 2019 Mr. Prospector winner Diamond Oops, a Lookin At Lucky  gelding who was sixth in the Sprint; multiple grade 1 winner Mind Control, a 4-year-old son of Stay Thirsty ; and seven-furlong specialist Majestic Dunhill, a 5-year-old Majesticperfection gelding who captured the Bold Ruler Handicap (G3) two starts back.

Entries: Mr. Prospector S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 19, 2020, Race 10

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Lasting Legacy (KY)	Paco Lopez	122	Robert B. Hess, Jr.	-
2	Cool Arrow (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	126	Teresa M. Pompay	-
3	Wind of Change (BRZ)	Leonel Reyes	122	Amador Merei Sanchez	-
4	Haikal (KY)	Luis Saez	120	Todd A. Pletcher	-
5	Majestic Dunhill (KY)	Joe Bravo	126	George Weaver	-
6	Last Judgment (FL)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	120	Michael J. Maker	-
7	Diamond Oops (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	126	Patrick L. Biancone	-
8	Sleepy Eyes Todd (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	126	Miguel Angel Silva	-
9	Firenze Fire (FL)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	126	Kelly J. Breen	-
10	Ebben (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Steve Margolis	-
11	Zenden (KY)	Robby Albarado	122	Carlos A. David	-
12	Mind Control (KY)	John R. Velazquez	124	Gregory D. Sacco	-