Making the Grade: Firing Line

Firing Line romped in the Sunland Derby to emerge from Dortmund's shadow as a top Kentucky Derby prospect. (Photo by Coady Photography)
Making the Grade, which will run through the 2015 Belmont Stakes, focuses on the winners of the big races, usually from the previous weekend, who could impact the next Triple Crown. We’ll be taking a close look at impressive winners and evaluating their chances to win important races based upon ability, running style, connections (owner, trainer, jockey) and pedigree. 
This week we take a closer look at Firing Line, winner of the $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 22 at Sunland Park.

After giving unbeaten Dortmund all he could handle in consecutive runner-up finishes, Firing Line shipped out of Southern California for his final prep race for the Kentucky Derby. Sent off as the 1-to-5 favorite for the Grade 3 Sunland Derby, Firing Line overwhelmed six challengers in a record-setting 14 ¼-length romp. His winning time of 1:47.39 established a new track record for 1 1/8 miles at Sunland.
If Dortmund is as good as many think he is, and I have him ranked first among my Derby contenders, a colt with a fantastic turn of foot like Firing Line who came up just a head short to that rival must be respected. In fact, I’m leaning toward making him my pick on the first Saturday in May.

Firing Line
Bay Colt
Sire (Father): Line of David
Dam (Mother): Sister Girl Blues, by Hold for Gold
Owner: Arnold Zetcher
Breeder: Clearsky Farms (Ky.)
Trainer: Simon Callaghan

Ability: Purchased for $240,000 by bloodstock agent Ben McElroy for owner Arnold Zetcher at the 2014 Keeneland April sale of selected 2-year-olds in training, Firing Line finished second in a six-furlong sprint in his career debut on Oct. 25. He earned a solid debut Equibase Speed Figure of 90. Five weeks later he won at 6 ½ furlongs on the synthetic surface at Del Mar and improved to a 95 speed figure.
The big improvement for Firing Line came when he stretched out in distance to two-turn races. Jumping straight from his maiden win to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity, Firing Line fought tenaciously in a three-horse duel with Dortmund and Mr. Z and came up a head short to Dortmund. The 107 Equibase Speed Figure Firing Line recorded in his final start as a 2-year-old showed he was a legit talent.
He made his 3-year-old bow in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes and again came up just short while battling Dortmund. He took a one-length lead in the stretch but could not turn back his familiar rival’s final surge. Both horses received a 114 Equibase Speed Figure for the race, which is a point off the top figure for a 3-year-old in a two-turn race in 2015, which was accomplished by Materiality in the Florida Derby.
FIRING LINE AND DORTMUND IN THE LEWIS STAKES

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
Firing Line coasted in the Sunland Derby and did not need to extend himself at all in the stretch of the blowout win. His 106 speed figure could be seen as a regression, but I think it was just an easy race. He could have run faster if needed or pushed by another contender. Plus, he gets six weeks of rest between the Sunland Derby and the Kentucky Derby and should be very fresh for the biggest race of his career.
What I like best about Firing Line is his ability to closely track a hot pace, like he did in the Sunland Derby (opening half-mile in :45.39) and still finish powerfully. He did the same in the Robert B. Lewis, although the pace was a bit slower, and still had enough gas in the tank to come up only a head short with the third-place finisher 16 lengths back. 
Running style: In his first two starts sprinting, Firing Line dropped back off the pace — but not too far back — and then rallied into contention. The two-turn races allow him to use his natural speed to stay a little bit closer to the pace while not diminishing his finishing ability. The good news is he’s shown he can drop back if needed in the Kentucky Derby and getting a little dirt kicked in his face won’t discourage him. Or, Firing Line could race just off the leaders and get a jump on the closers nearing the stretch. With a few very fast, prefer-to-lead types expected in the Kentucky Derby field, such as American Pharoah and Dortmund, a little versatility could go a long way in a few weeks. The nice part is he has the speed to secure a decent trip in a 20-horse field and still have the energy to accelerate powerfully when he needs to shift gears.

Previous Making the Grades

Competitive Edge
American Pharoah
Carpe Diem
Daredevil
Texas Red
Ocho Ocho Ocho
El Kabeir
Leave the Light On
Nasa
Dortmund
Calculator
International Star
Upstart
Ocean Knight
Far From Over
Metaboss
Far Right
Materiality

Connections: Firing Line’s trainer, Simon Callaghan, was raised in Newmarket, England, where father, Neville, trained horses for about 25 years. After starting out with his father, Simon went to work for elite British trainer Richard Hannon before returning to his father's stable. His first taste of U.S. racing came when he spent several seasons working for multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher.
Simon Callaghan went out on his own in 2010 and has trainer Grade 1 winners Fashion Plate, Byrama and Dubawi Heights among 24 stakes victories through April 6. Callaghan has never had a starter in the Kentucky Derby.
Owner Arnold Zetcher got involved in racehorse ownership in 2000 and has campaigned multiple standouts, including Grade 1 winners Gabby’s Golden Gal, Richard’s Kid, E Z’s Gentleman and El Brujo. He won the Santa Anita Derby in 2011 with Midnight Interlude, who is one of Zetcher’s two Kentucky Derby starters. His best finish was sixth in 2012 with Liaison. Zetcher is the former chairman, president and chief executive officer of women’s fashion retail store Talbots.
Gary Stevens is a Hall of Fame rider with nine victories in U.S. Triple Crown races to his credit – three each in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. One of the only missing major races on his résumé when Stevens made his comeback in 2013 was the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which he won that aboard Mucho Macho Man. He also guided Beholder to victory in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Distaff and owns 10 career Breeders’ Cup wins among his more than 5,000 lifetime wins.
Pedigree: Firing Line is from the first crop of 2010 Arkansas Derby victor Line of David, by 2004 Kentucky Derby runner-up Lion Heart. He is Line of David’s first career graded stakes winner and his lone graded stakes winner to date from 50 foals in his first crop. His other stakes winner is 2015 California Derby winner Cross the Line, who finished second in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 14.
Firing Line is one of two winners from as many starters out of Grade 1-placed Sister Girl Blues, by Hold for Gold. Sister Girl Blues earned $201,077 in three seasons of racing and ran second to champion Azeri in the 2003 Vanity Handicap, a Grade 1 race at 1 1/8 miles. She also finished second in the Grade 2 Hollywood Breeders’ Cup Oaks as a 2-year-old to Adoration, who would go on to win the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Firing Line’s grandam (maternal grandmother), Sister Girl, was a sprinter who never raced longer than seven furlongs. By 1982 Belmont Stakes winner and Horse of the Year Conquistador Cielo, Sister Girl is the dam of 2008 Dwyer Stakes winner and Peter Pan Stakes runner-up Mint Lane.
Delving deeper into this pedigree we find fourth dam (maternal great-great grandmother), Forlis Key, a half-sister (same dam, different sire) to 1990 Kentucky Oaks winner and outstanding broodmare Seaside Attraction; Canadian champion Key to the Moon; and 1989 Ashland Stakes winner Gorgeous.
Firing Line’s pedigree is not the best you will find in this year’s Kentucky Derby field, but there is plenty here to make a case for his ability to compete at an elite level in the Triple Crown. I love Firing Line’s explosiveness, the competition he’s faced, the six weeks of rest leading into the big race, his Hall of Fame rider and his versatility. He’s on a very short list to be my top pick for this year’s Kentucky Derby.