Firing Line (G3)
Videos
Firing Line runs a strong second in the G1 Kentucky Derby
Firing Line Seeks Victory in Sunland Derby
Firing Line Crushes Field in Sunland Derby
Jeremy Balan | March 22, 2015 8:20 PM
Arnold Zetcher's Firing Line threw his hat emphatically into the ring of Triple Crown contenders with a dominating victory in the $800,000 Sunland Derby (gr. III) (VIDEO) March 22 at Sunland Park.
The Line of David colt, a head second to Dortmund in both the Los Alamitos Futurity (gr. I) Dec. 20 and the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. III) Feb. 7, claimed his first stakes win in the easiest possible way, blowing away a group of six other over-matched colts by 14 1/4 lengths under a hand ride by jockey Gary Stevens.
The Line of David colt, a head second to Dortmund in both the Los Alamitos Futurity (gr. I) Dec. 20 and the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. III) Feb. 7, claimed his first stakes win in the easiest possible way, blowing away a group of six other over-matched colts by 14 1/4 lengths under a hand ride by jockey Gary Stevens.
"It wasn't an ideal trip... It looked a lot easier than it was. I didn't like it when we drew the (inside post), and the race was loaded with other pace, but this colt--he probably handled things a lot better than I did. He makes easy work of it and the best thing he's got going for him is his mind. He's way beyond his (five-race) career right now, as far as where he is mentally."
— jockey Gary Stevens
"I was watching the race, and being inside the whole way, I was nervous, expanding on the inside trip... But when you're really good, you can overcome when things go against you. That's what exceptional horses do."
— Simon Callaghan, Multiple Graded Stakes Winning Trainer