Callaghan Confident in Firing Line’s Preakness Chances

Firing Line proving that his trainer Simon Callaghan belongs on the Triple Crown trail. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
BALTIMORE – Trainer Simon Callaghan is new to the Triple Crown stage. That does not mean he is bashful.
Callaghan, 32, acts and speaks with assuredness that is surprising for someone his age. There was nothing wide-eyed about him as he prepared Firing Line for the Kentucky Derby. His horse showed he belonged when he pushed American Pharoah to the limit in a valiant one-length defeat. There is no doubting that Callaghan belongs as well.
He grew up around racing. His father, Neville, is a highly respected trainer in England. He exudes confidence as he discusses the many elements that he believes favor Firing Line in an eagerly anticipated rematch with American Pharoah in the $1.5-million Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.
Although most of the attention went to American Pharoah as the 2-year-old champion last year and the early favorite on the Road to the Derby, Callaghan emphasizes that his colt should not be an afterthought.
“Pretty much the first time we breezed him, he showed us just enormous talent,” he said during a news conference outside the Pimlico Stakes Barn on Thursday morning. “He’s got an impressive stride. He’s a horse with a fantastic mind. Very early on we felt we had something really special.”
Firing Line owns two victories and four second place finishes in six starts for earnings of $974,800 for owner Arnold Zetcher. The son of Line of David has never run a clunker.
He broke through with his first victory in his second career start, drawing clear by 4 ¼ lengths last Nov. 30 at Del Mar. He missed by a head to Dortmund in consecutive races, the Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 20 and the Robert Lewis at Santa Anita on Feb. 7.
According to Callaghan, the Preakness was on his mind when he targeted the Sunland Derby on March 22 as his 3-year-old’s prep for the Kentucky Derby. He thought the six-week spacing to the Run for the Roses would work well and that he would still have a relatively fresh horse for the middle leg of the Triple Crown two weeks later.
Callaghan thinks the swift two-week turnaround may provide an edge for his Kentucky-bred, a $240,000 purchase at Keeneland’s April two-year-old sale last year.
FIRING LINE IS COMING INTO THE PREAKNESS OFF A SECOND IN THE DERBY

“For this horse, in particular, it might not be as much of an issue as it might be for some other horses,” he said.
Firing Line rewarded the Sunland Derby strategy when he overpowered the field at Sunland Park in New Mexico by 14 ¼ lengths for Gary Stevens, who has become his regular rider. He was then two lengths better than Dortmund when they met in the most important race of their young lives at Churchill Downs, suggesting he may well have moved past that rival.
Callaghan thinks it will only help Firing Line that the 1 3/16-mile Preakness is slightly shorter than the mile-and-a-quarter Derby. “He’s got a very good cruising speed during his races, and I think that should lend itself to a slight cutback in distance,” he said. “I think this could be an absolutely perfect distance for him.”
It did not hurt, either, that American Pharoah drew the rail with stablemate Dortmund right beside him, seemingly committing those two to be forwardly placed or risk getting lost in the shuffle inside.
Callaghan began training on his own in Southern California in 2009. He quickly built a reputation as a precocious trainer on the rise, developing several Grade 1 winners. The Preakness would represent his most noteworthy triumph to date.
“This definitely would be a huge platform for me in my training career. It’s nice to have a horse like this to run in these races,” he said. “It’s a race everyone wants to win.”
For Callaghan, victories in Triple Crown races may only be a matter of time.
$1.5-million Xpressbet.com Preakness StakesSaturday, Pimlico Race Course, Post time 6:18 p.m. ET1 3/16 miles, dirt, 3-year-oldsT.V.: NBC 4:30 p.m. ET

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

M-L

1

American Pharoah

Victor Espinoza

Bob Baffert

Zayat Stables

4-5

2

Dortmund

Martin Garcia

Bob Baffert

Kaleem Shah

7-2

3

Mr. Z

Corey Nakatani

D. Wayne Lukas

Calumet Farm

20-1

4

Danzig Moon

Julien Leparoux

Mark Casse

John Oxley

15-1

5

Tale of Verve

Joel Rosario

Dallas Stewart

Charles Fipke

30-1

6

Bodhisattva

Trevor McCarthy

Jose Corrales

Jose Corrales

20-1

7

Divining Rod

Javier Castellano

Arnaud Delacour

Lael Stables

12-1

8

Firing Line

Gary Stevens

Simon Callaghan

Arnold Zetcher

4-1