Big Data earns stakes start; Lerman taking it slow
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Big Data was a decisive winner of a Gulfstream Park allowance Sunday in a performance that will move him into stakes company, according to trainer Michael Lerman.
Big Data rolled by 3 1/4 lengths in a first-level allowance at a mile. For the effort, he earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 87. The number was up from Big Data’s prior top number of 80, which was earned for a runner-up finish at the same level in June.
“He’s certainly on the right trajectory,” Lerman said Monday. “He’s headed up the ladder. He’s moving up – and the incremental way you want to see him move up.”
Lerman said Big Data has a variety of options for his stakes debut. They include the $250,000 Ellis Park Derby at one mile Aug. 13; the $250,000 St. Louis Derby at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 26 at FanDuel Racing; and the $200,000 Super Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 2 at Louisiana Downs.
“I think the more ground the better for him,” Lerman said. “He had plenty left in the tank and he was his usual exuberant, rambunctious self [Monday]. I’m just going to watch him a few days and we’ll start to pick out a race.”
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Lerman trains Big Data, a son of Preakness winner Cloud Computing, for Petal Power Racing Stable.
Big Data has hooked a number of eventual stakes winners in his career, from Arcangelo, who would go on to win the Belmont Stakes; Kingsbarns, eventual winner of the Louisiana Derby; and Lord Miles, who won the Wood Memorial.
Big Data won his maiden in April at Gulfstream. Lerman has given the horse ample time to develop and will continue to take it one step at a time moving into stakes competition.
“I want to try to duck the best 3-year-olds, the ones that ran last Saturday at Monmouth or are running this coming Saturday at Saratoga, prepping for the Travers,” he said. “I’d like to avoid that group for the time being, earn our way to meet them.”
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