Whitmore, Firenze Fire Rematched in Vanderbilt

In the last meeting between Whitmore  and Firenze Fire  in November, Whitmore got the trip and the glory, saving ground and closing to defeat 13 rivals, including Firenze Fire, in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland. The victory propelled Whitmore to a championship as male sprinter.

Almost nine months later, the two grade 1-winning, multimillionaires spar once more in the $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course July 31. They face seven other sprinters, including fellow grade 1 winner Mischevious Alex .

The latter is the 124-pound highweight in the six-furlong contest, closely followed by Whitmore at 123 and Firenze Fire at 122.

Whitmore, trained by Ron Moquett and owned by Robert LaPenta, Moquett, and Head of Plains Partners, is winless in three starts since the Breeders' Cup, though he threatened in each race. He ran second to Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up C Z Rocket  in both the Hot Springs Stakes and Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park and was third last out in the Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford (G1) May 1. In the latter race, he closed to take the lead between calls in the stretch, but was outfinished in the final sixteenth by Flagstaff  and Lexitonian , who also races in the Vanderbilt.

"His record says he's 0-for-3 this year, but he's 3-for-3 in effort," Moquett said. "All we can ask is for him to try. Are there some things that may have resulted in a better outcome? Probably. But at the same time, he brought his 'A' game. You're going to win some, and you're going to lose some. It's all about bringing the effort."

Winner of the 2018 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, Whitmore was second in last year's Vanderbilt to Volatile  . 

Ricardo Santana Jr. will ride Whitmore, an 8-year-old Pleasantly Perfect  gelding, for the 18th time Saturday. The champion sprinter has raced 41 times, winning seven graded stakes at four different racetracks and amassing career earnings of more than $4.4 million.

Also coming off a loss but with a winning record this year is Mr. Amore Stable's 6-year-old Firenze Fire. The Kelly Breen trainee was beaten as the favorite when second in the John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) July 4 at Belmont Park, dueling inside Mind Control  throughout and finishing a head short. 

"If he's on the outside he probably (wins) that race, but it's all a part of the game," owner Rom Lombardi said. 

Previously the son of Poseidon's Warrior  won the True North Stakes (G2) and Runhappy Stakes (G3) at Belmont this year. Saturday's race will be his fourth start since May.

"After that last race he came back to the barn that night and felt like he didn't even run; he went for a jog the next morning," Lombardi said.

Seven of Firenze Fire's 14 victories have come at Belmont Park, but he won the Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga as a 2-year-old and has twice placed in grade 1 sprints locally. He was fourth in the Vanderbilt in both 2020 and 2019.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex also lost for the first time this year in his most recent start, finishing third in the Hill' N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont over a one-turn mile. This spring, he took the seven-furlong Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack in the highlight of three victories in 2021.

"He is training for this as well as he did for the Carter," trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said of the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief  . 

Also running in the Metropolitan Handicap was Calumet Farm's Lexitonian, who was eased and ran last of six. That followed a runner-up finish in the Churchill Downs Stakes when he was a nose in front of Whitmore.

Lexitonian, scratched at the gate in last year's Vanderbilt, returned a week later last summer to finish second, beaten a nose by Collusion Illusion  in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar. As a 3-year-old, the son of Speightstown   took the Chick Lang Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course. 

"Ideally, his best running style is being forwardly placed in a dog fight," trainer Jack Sisterson said of his rail-drawn entrant. "He really shows his true colors when asked to be set down and that's how he'll be ridden. He'll be forwardly placed. We'll be aggressive out of the gate and put him in the race and see who wants to come and catch us."

Other Vanderbilt entries include Strike Power , Three Technique , Miles Ahead , Montauk Traffic , and Special Reserve . The latter three enter Saturday's race following victories, with Miles Ahead and Special Reserve doing so in stakes.

Special Reserve and Strike Power, 1-2 in the Maryland Sprint Match Series Stakes (G3) when they last competed in a graded stakes race, are two that should vie for the early lead.

Three Technique races with blinkers added.

Entries: Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G1)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, July 31, 2021, Race 8

• Grade I
• 6f
• Dirt
• $350,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:03 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lexitonian (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Jack Sisterson	20/1
2	2Mischevious Alex (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	124	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	2/1
3	3Firenze Fire (FL)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Kelly J. Breen	3/1
4	4Strike Power (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Steven M. Asmussen	15/1
5	5Three Technique (KY)	Manuel Franco	117	Jeremiah C. Englehart	15/1
6	6Whitmore (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	123	Ron Moquett	4/1
7	7Miles Ahead (KY)	Luis Saez	118	George R. Arnold, II	12/1
8	8Montauk Traffic (KY)	Eric Cancel	117	Linda Rice	15/1
9	9Special Reserve (KY)	Joel Rosario	119	Michael J. Maker	9/2