Fire and Wine stamped himself as a legitimate contender for Champion 3-Year-Old Male in Canada, with another wire-to-wire win in Saturday's $175,000 Ontario Derby (Grade 3) at Woodbine.
The bay colt was making his first start after a front running, four length win in the twelve-furlong Breeders Stakes on turf, the final jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown.
Ridden again by Jalon Samuel, Fire and Wire broke sharply from post position 3, leading into the clubhouse turn, through an opening quarter mile in :23.81 over the main track.Teleport (IRE), Final Score, and favoured Prince of Wales Stakes winner Military Time completed the top quartet. Chaos Agent, Bull by the Horns, longshot Trevally, Western Warrior and Brachetto rounded out the running order, through two furlongs in the 1 1/8 mile fall classic for three-year-olds.
Fire and Wine, under a confident Samuel, continued to show the way by a length to Teleport (IRE) through an opening half mile in :47.83. Into the bend, Samuel and the son of Lexitonian extended their lead to 2 lengths through six furlongs in 1:11.67.
Turning for home, Military Time got first run at the leader, with Grade 3-Marine Stakes winner Brachetto advancing into third, but inside the final furlong, the Zeljko Krcmar-trained Fire and Wine finished resolutely to win by 2 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:50.80. Military Time was second. Manitoba-bred Brachetto was third and 69-1 shot Trevally rounded out the superfecta.
As a two-year-old, Fire and Wine (when adding Lasix) got loose on the lead and won the 9-panel Coronation Futurity with jockey Slade Jones in the irons. Samuel took over riding duties in the King's Plate, guiding the physically imposing sophomore to a third-place finish. Next out, the pair contested the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie, finishing fifth, before the breakthrough win in the Breeders' Stakes.
"He relaxed. I got to give him a longer reign today and let him cruise to the first turn," said Samuel.
"There was a horse outside of me, I believe it was Pietro (Moran on Teleport (IRE)," noted Samuel.
"I saw coming there for the first time. I thought he was going to push me a little bit more, but the pace was good and relaxed and I got him to take a breath. And when I was ready for him to answer, he answered well."
"He covers a lot of ground so that makes it much easier for him, much better for the rider. You just have to know how fast you're going with him because he can trick you. If you let him go, he'll travel," added Samuel.
Bred in Ontario by James and Janeane Everatt, Arika Meeuse & Robert Marzilli, Fire and Wine improved to 4-0-4 from 14 career starts, while earning his first career graded stakes' score.
"He doesn't know how good he is. Everything I try, he do it," said Krcmar.
"Now he proved point, he just played with those horses," added the veteran conditioner, who mentioned Fire and Wine could make his next start in the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes (December 5th).
"A mile and half will fit him perfectly."
Owned by Paul Ryder, Fire and Wine (Lexitonian - Double Latte, by The Factor), appeared at 15-1 on the morning line, was bet down to 4-1 and returned $10.30 for the win.
