Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) will continue his quest for a spot in the starting gate in the GI Kentucky Derby Saturday against a short, but competitive field in the GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct.
The Mr Amore Stable homebred has stamped himself as a force around one turn, taking the GIII Sanford S. at Saratoga
July 22 and the GI Champagne S. Oct. 7 before a seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile behind recent Eclipse Award winner Good Magic (Curlin) in his lone try around two turns. He started off his road to the first Saturday in May at Aqueduct Jan. 13 in the Jerome S., where he overcame a wide trip and a muddy main track to score by a half-length. The Withers' mile and an eighth distance will be the longest test in his young career.
The other graded stakes victor in the field is Avery Island (Street Sense), who controlled the pace and pulled away late to score the GII Nashua S. locally Nov. 5.
Avery Island coming off a runner-up performance behind Catholic Boy (More Than Ready), who enters the weekend on top of the TDN Derby Top 12, in the GII Remsen S. Dec. 2.
High-priced recent maiden breaker and 'TDN Rising Star' Marconi (Tapit) will make his stakes debut Saturday. The bay was a $2 million yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale and is a half to MGISW Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno). A green second after breaking slowly in his debut Nov. 17, the gray broke slow again, but quickly progressed, taking the lead on the far turn and kicking clear to a 5 1/2-length graduation. Both starts have come at the mile-and-an-eighth distance.
They all might have to catch California Night (Midnight Lute) late as he looks to be the main speed breaking from the outside post. The dark bay took his debut in gate-to-wire fashion here Dec. 10 while going 6 1/2 furlongs.
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