Big Data improving but catches another tough group
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Big Data has hooked eventual stakes winners Arcangelo, Kingsbarns, and Lord Miles in his young career and the company lines point him out as a major player in Sunday’s sixth race at Gulfstream Park.
The first-level allowance for 3-year-olds will be run at a mile on the main track and is one of three notable offerings on the card. There’s also a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta and a $25,000 starter allowance sprint on Tapeta.
Big Data figures to vie for favoritism with three-time winner Loco Abarrio and the promising Mr. Peeks from the barn of Gulfstream leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Big Data comes off a runner-up finish at this level to the Joseph-trained West Coast Cowboy on June 4 at Gulfstream.
“After the race, Saffie said, ‘My horse is a pretty nice horse – don’t be disappointed by getting beat by him,’ ” said Michael Lerman, who trains Big Data.
It was the latest race in which Big Data caught a notable rival. In his debut in November the horse was second to Joseph trainee Lord Miles, who would go on to win the Grade 2 Wood Memorial. A few starts later, Big Data was sixth behind eventual Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns in a maiden race at Gulfstream. Lerman noted the same maiden race lured Arcangelo, who was fourth before going on to win a maiden race at Gulfstream, the Grade 3 Peter Pan, and the Belmont Stakes.
“They’re a pretty strong group of 3-year-olds that he’s faced so far,” Lerman said. “He’s been catching upwardly mobile 3-year-olds.”
And all the while, Big Data has been on the rise for Petal Power Racing Stable.
“He’s developing into a very nice horse,” Lerman said. “Fortunately, his owners gave me the latitude to give him all the time he needed to reach his full potential. He’s a big, strong horse who was mentally immature. He’s a little behind the curve, catching up.”
Big Data won his maiden in April, one start after facing Kingsbarns. Big Data has since run second in two subsequent starts against winners, the first behind Il Miracolo, who was moving back into the allowance ranks after running sixth in the Florida Derby. The next start came against West Coast Cowboy, who would go on to finish a close, troubled fifth in the Iowa Derby.
Big Data could advance to stakes competition with the right kind of performance Sunday.
“If we can get over this hurdle, we’ll look at the two-turn stakes schedule for 3-year-olds,” Lerman said. “That’s what’s in my head. Another step forward, a win or a close second, we could take the next step.”
Lerman has long wanted two turns for Big Data, but the right opportunity has not yet come together. Right now, the trainer said his focus is on Sunday, when Big Data breaks from post 2 under Emisael Jaramillo.
“He’s got some natural speed,” Lerman said. “I prefer him to be running at horses.”
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