Firing Line to Sit Out Rest of 2015

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Arnold Zetcher's Firing Line, who gave American Pharoah his toughest test of the Triple Crown with a runner-up effort in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), will likely miss the rest of his 3-year-old racing season, the colt's connections said July 8.



After ruling Firing Line out for the Los Alamitos Derby (gr. II) because of foot problems June 14, Zetcher and trainer Simon Callaghan have decided to shut the Line of David   colt down until at least late in the year, but likely until his 4-year-old season.



BALAN: Firing Line to Sit Out Los Alamitos Derby



"It's nothing specific," Callaghan said. "We just thought it was the right time to give him a break. It's nothing that needs surgery, and his foot is cleared up, but we just feel the time is right to give him a break. He's done a lot in a short period of time."



Zetcher echoed Callaghan's sentiment regarding the Firing Line's time off and similarly didn't indicate a specific injury. Both also said the issue likely dated back to his stumbled start at the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I).



"It's something nagging," Zetcher said. "We're not sure when it happened, but we think it happened coming out of the gate at the Preakness when he stumbled badly."



Zetcher said there is a chance Firing Line could be ready late in the year, but that it was more likely he'd wait to race until 2016, with the $10 million Emirates Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) as a target.



"It's disappointing, because we were getting him ready for the big races coming up," Zetcher said. "We came to conclusion that the right thing to do for the horse was to give him time off and bring him back as a strong 4-year-old. It comes down to, if you're not going to make the Breeders' Cup in October, there's no real rush. He could be back at end of the year or the start of the (next) year. It's so far away, but we think he's such a good horse."

Firing Line, winner of the Sunland Derby (gr. III), is out of the Hold for Gold mare Sister Girl Blues. He was bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms.