SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Steve Asmussen has won more than his share of rich and prestigious races throughout his Hall of Fame career. But on days when he waxes nostalgic sometime down the road, the first replay he may pull off the shelf is the one of Yaupon’s memorable head victory over Firenze Fire in Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Forego at Saratoga.  Yaupon not only withstood a near race-long duel with Firenze Fire, one of five Grade 1 winners in the Forego lineup, he won despite being savaged by the runner-up beginning at the sixteenth pole and continuing for approximately 100 yards as the leaders battled to the wire. Despite the unexpected attack from Firenze Fire, Yaupon never lost his focus, holding gamely under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. to register his sixth win in eight career starts, third in as many tries at Saratoga and, more importantly, the first Grade 1 victory of his career. Firenze Fire’s connections could argue their horse might have come out on top had he minded his manners through the stretch. The incident also stirred memories of a similar occurrence Firenze Fire was involved in three years earlier at Parx when he was on the receiving end. Whereshetoldmetogo tried to take a bite out of his neck as the pair approached the wire in the Gallant Bob Stakes. Like on Saturday, it was the bite-ee not the biter who came out on top, with Firenze Fire prevailing. Despite the race-long speed duel and the late-stretch shenanigans, the top two were never threatened by the others. It was another 2 1/2 lengths farther back to Chance It, who finished third. He was followed in turn by Mind Control, Whitmore, Mischevious Alex, Double Bless and Lexitonian. The Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbillt winner earlier in the meet, Lexitonian lost all chance when he stumbled very badly at the start. Whitmore, the reigning sprint champion, pulled up in distress and was vanned off after the race. Trainer Ron Moquett said on Twitter that the injury was minor but that the horse will be retired. Yaupon, a son of Uncle Mo, is owned by Corinne and William Heiligbrodt. He completed seven furlongs over the fast track in 1:21.74 and paid $6. Yaupon got a 103 Beyer Speed Figure. “It’s very exciting to have a winner of the Grade 1 Forego, but the finish made it that much more dramatic,” said Asmussen. “For that to happen in a Grade 1 at Saratoga with two horses on the lead is surely memorable. I will watch that replay many times in the future.” Asmussen said that from his vantage point on the apron, he thought Firenze Fire was trying to bite his rider, Santana, not Yaupon. “Watching it live, when they went by me, I was worried he was going to bite Ricardo,” Asmussen said. “We’ve had some not-ideal finishes this year, so I thought we’re not there until you get to the wire.” Asmussen acknowledged that, in the end, finally getting a Grade 1 win for Yaupon is what mattered most. “To show up on this stage and beat five Grade 1 winners was amazing,” said Asmussen. “Everybody knows what a brilliant horse he is. That he was capable of it. And now it’s finally done.”            :: Join DRF Bets and play the races with a $250 First Deposit Bonus. Click to learn more. Jose Ortiz on Firenze Fire said he thought he was going to win the race until Firenze Fire pulled his antics in late stretch. “That was crazy; it’s never happened to me before,” said Ortiz. “I was head to head with him, we put our head in front, and from that point I thought we’d put  enough pressure on him to beat him, that I had enough horse under me. I was whipping at the same time he did it, it took me longer than I wanted to get him off, and that was it. When I finally got him off and shook my reins at him, he came back at the other horse again, although if he would have come back and won, it probably would have been a disqualification anyway.”