Big Book wins Fleet Treat to stay perfect

DEL MAR, Calif. – George Krikorian loves movies, but on Saturday, Big Book was better.

Big Book, a homebred, gave Krikorian’s stallion Mr. Big a significant stakes win when she remained unbeaten by capturing the $192,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred fillies at Del Mar.

Krikorian owns a chain of eponymous theaters in Southern California, but he’s owned horses for years, and in Mr. Big – a son of Dynaformer – he now has a stallion standing in California, too. So, the importance of the win Saturday was far more than Big Book remaining unbeaten or paying $9.40 or covering seven furlongs on a fast main track in 1:24.77 under Rafael Bejarano.

“It’s his stallion, so this is very important,” said Tim Yakteen, who trains Big Book.

Big Book, a cleverly named daughter of the Holy Bull mare Novel Twist, prevailed by 2 1/4 lengths over Kiss At Midnight, who was fanned four paths wide on the turn after an early scrum that saw all six runners line up for the lead. Sheer Pleasure, the 3-5 favorite, was three paths wide on the turn but could not punch home and wound up third, a half-length behind Kiss At Midnight.

“It was a moderate pace,” Yakteen said, referring to early splits of 22.64 seconds for a quarter and 45.69 for a half. “That’s why they were all lined up. With Rafael, you don’t need to give him instructions.”

Big Book did not make her debut until May 23. In a little more than two months, she’s now 3 for 3 and a stakes winner after capturing a maiden race and a first-level allowance, all against California-breds.

“She needed time to mature,” Yakteen said. “Waiting on her is why we’re having success now.”