Big and Classy well drawn to bounce back in overnight handicap

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Big and Classy will try to bounce back from a rare setback when going postward as the solid favorite in Saturday’s main event at Gulfstream Park, a $65,000 overnight handicap that drew a familiar field of seven to go seven furlongs over the main track.

Big and Classy has won 7 of 9 starts this season, with his latest loss coming just four weeks ago when the former $20,000 claimer finished second, beaten a length by Long Range Toddy, while stretching to a mile for the first time in 2023. Big and Classy, who began the year with six straight victories, suffered his only other loss this year in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint on July 1 when second-best behind runaway winner and now Grade 1-placed Dean Delivers.

“He’s a beauty and he’s just like his name says, big and classy,” trainer Bobby Dibona said. “I don’t think the mile was too far for him last time, I just don’t believe he got the right trip. In fact, I’m using this race as a prep for the $100,000 stakes for Florida-breds here next month [the Gil Campbell Memorial] which is at a mile.

“He’s back at seven furlongs this weekend, which is probably his best distance, he’s already beaten most of them in there and I love the outside post. He should sit a good trip. So hopefully we can keep this thing going.”

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Big and Classy was assigned high weight of 123 pounds and will concede as much as seven pounds to a field that also includes Avant Glory and Big Daddy Dave, who finished second and third, respectively, behind him when the trio met under optional-claiming and allowance conditions, also at seven panels, here Aug. 5.

Avant Glory hit the gate at the break, recovered to prompt the pace along the rail, gained command on the turn, and then proved no match for Big and Classy in the pair’s previous encounter. Trained by Roderick Rodriguez, Avant Glory shows only one published work since that outing, a bullet half-mile in 48.40 seconds on Sept. 7 at Palm Meadows.

Big Daddy Dave also has been idle since finishing third, 3 1/2 lengths behind Big and Classy. Another former $20,000 claimer, Big Daddy Dave earned a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure defeating weaker allowance company by 11 1/2 lengths going a mile over a muddy strip here early this summer.

Starship Renegade has been freshened since finishing a wide-running fourth in the Smile Sprint. He also had chased home the red-hot Dean Delivers when second-best in the Big Drama Stakes six weeks earlier.

Warrior’s Pride figures to take this field a long ways on the front end while stretching out to seven furlongs for the first time off a two-length victory in the Bob Umphrey Sprint, decided at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta course, on July 2.

Cajun’s Magic and Zydeceaux complete the lineup.

The main event will kick off a Rainbow 6 sequence that includes three allowance races, the first two of which will be run over the Tapeta course. The other is on the main track.

Trainer Steve Dwoskin, who will saddle Starship Renegade in the headliner, appears to have the horse to beat in the eighth race, the improving 3-year-old filly Starship Agenda, who rallied to finish second, beaten just a neck by Time Passage, under similar optional-claiming and allowance conditions on Aug. 20. Time Passage flattered the effort by returning to capture an overnight handicap over the Tapeta track in impressive fashion three weeks later.

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A wide-open field of seven older allowance horses will contest the ninth event at 1 1/16 miles, with uncoupled stablemates Kartano and Cashier Check, from the barn of trainer Victor Barboza Jr., likely holding a slight edge over a bevy of other contenders that include Space Runner, Stride, and You Talkin To Me.

Sorting out the third and final allowance race on the card will not be any easier. The 6 1/2-furlong dash that goes as the penlultimate leg of the Rainbow 6 has attracted a well-matched group of eight older males, featuring key contenders such as Loco Abarrio, Desert Ruler, Rod Two Rod, Pure Speight, and Awesome Flay.

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