Preakness Stakes Contender: Firing Line

By: Ciara Bowen

Although a lightly raced horse, Firing Line knows what the game is about. The three year old colt has quality written all over him, and a glance at his record does nothing but reaffirm that fact. Although he only has six starts to date, he has yet to finish worse than second, and two of those defeats came to California superhorse Dortmund.

Following the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita, Firing Line was sent to Sunland Park for the Sunland Park Derby. The race was a logical one to enter for several reasons: Dortmund was pointing for the Santa Anita Derby, there were plenty of points to secure a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate, and it offered a longer break before the Kentucky Derby.

It was a smart move.

Away from Dortmund, Firing Line took complete control of the Sunland Derby, cruising to an easy 14 ¼ length victory under journeyman jockey Gary Stevens.

Six weeks later found the pair together again in front of a record crowd at the Kentucky Derby, and during the post parade, exuded nothing but confidence. He, like Stevens, was simply ready for show time.

The Derby field was deep this year, with several talented horses, and the focal point of the majority was which horse is better, American Pharoah or Dortmund? After the way he ran the Derby, overlooking Firing Line is a mistake not many will wish to repeat.

It became clear almost immediately out of the gate that Dortmund was going to be alone setting the pace, as per usual. Firing Line was never far from him throughout the race, throwing his head in front of Dortmund briefly as they began running into the clubhouse turn, and dispatched him with what appeared to be little effort. Momentarily, it looked as though he was going to prevail over American Pharoah, but the son of Pioneerof the Nile passed him shortly before the wire to conquer the field by a length.

As Firing Line points toward the rapidly approaching Preakness Stakes, where he poses a huge threat, one cannot help taking a glance at his pedigree. The big bay colt is from the first crop of 2010 Arkansas Derby winner Line of David and is out of the Hold for Gold mare, Sister Girl Blues.

Line of David, a son of 2004 Kentucky Derby runner-up Lion Heart, was lightly raced as well. His resume is not as impressive as some would like to see, with hardly any stakes action. The first four of those were maiden special weights, followed by an upgrade to the allowance level. His fifth start was in an allowance at Santa Anita, and a month later the chestnut was sent to Oaklawn Park for the Arkansas Derby. There, he beat eventual Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver by a neck.

The Kentucky Derby, three weeks later, was Line of David’s last start. He ran 18th and retired with three wins from seven starts and earnings of $662,000. He entered stud at Spendthrift Farm in 2011 for a fee of $7,500. His fee has since been dropped to $3,500.

Firing Line leads Line of David’s leading runners and top performers lists as the only graded stakes winner, and with earnings of $934,800. Other top horses on the list include stakes winner Cross the Line and stakes placed Combat Diver, Dirt Monster, and Solomon.

Line of David ranked 11th on the 2014 leading first-crop sires list. Currently, he is ranked 61st on the 2015 leading sire list and third on the 2015 leading second-crop sire list.

Prior to the 2004 Kentucky Derby, Lion Heart shared Firing Line’s record of only running on the board. The chestnut son of Tale of the Cat broke his maiden first time out before being bumped to graded stakes. His second race was the grade three Jack Daniel’s Hollywood Prevue Stakes, which he took easily in a six length victory. Third out was the grade one Hollywood Futurity. That was to be his last win until the summer, when he won the Long Branch Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G3); in the meantime, he turned in second place finishes in the San Rafael Stakes (G2), Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1), and a fourth place finish in the Preakness (G1). His final win came in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1).

Lion Heart retired with a record of five wins and three seconds, from ten races, with career earnings of $1,390,800. He entered stud in 2005 and currently stands at The Jockey Club of Turkey Stud Farms for 17,000 Lira, which is roughly equal to $6,305.69 in U.S. dollars.

Sister Girl Blues, though not a graded stakes winner, was by no means an average, lazy horse. The mare was grade one and grade two placed, and one of her hardest run races came in the Harry Henson Stakes at Sunland Park. Beaten by just a nose, she and the winner were four and a half lengths ahead of the rest of the field when they hit the wire.

Her graded stakes placings came in the Hollywood Breeders’ Cup Oaks and the Vanity Handicap, where she ran behind Adoration and Azeri, respectively.

Sister Girl Blues retired with a record of two wins, three seconds, and one third, from ten starts, with earnings of $201,077. The daughter of unraced stallion Hold for Gold and Sister Girl has foaled five horses to date; Firing Line is her top performer.

Sister Girl Blues is a half-sister to graded winner Mint Lane.

The nicking of Line of David and Sister Girl Blues results in an A+, and with little wonder. The lines of Lion Heart and Roberto – Sister Girl Blues’ great grandsire – have crossed to result in winners on all three recognized surfaces.

Of the 47 foals bred on the cross, 31 have started and 23 have won, for a 74 percent rate. Their combined earnings are currently $3,271,591. Uncaptured and Firing Line lead the list as graded stakes winners, followed by stakes winner Purple Egg and stakes placed Lion Hall, Trinni Heart, and Lion King.

Firing Line has done nothing thus far to suggest he has peaked too soon, and his performance in the Kentucky Derby indicates that we have yet to see the best of him. Should he handle the two week turnaround for the Preakness Stakes with no problems, expect a battle with American Pharoah to unfold.

Follow Ciara on Twitter @fourfurlongs