Big Drama could set up for Six Shooter

Six Shooter and Ninth Street should get an honest pace to chase Saturday night in the $75,000 Big Drama at Delta Downs.

The race for 3-year-olds is one of two stakes on the card. The other is the $75,000 Sam’s Town, which is for 4-year-olds and up at five furlongs.

The Big Drama – named for the sprint champion who won the Delta Downs Jackpot in 2008 – is a two-turn race being run over 7 1/2 furlongs. Of the eight entrants, five will be stretching out after one-turn starts in a scenario that could benefit Six Shooter.

“I think he should lay right behind that early pace,” said Paul Holthus, who trains Six Shooter.

Six Shooter is looking for his first stakes win. He owns the best career Beyer Speed Figure in the Big Drama, a 78 for a first-level allowance win at a mile on Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs.

“That day he settled off the pace really well, made a huge run down the lane,” Holthus said. “It was a tough race. A couple of horses he beat that day had run in graded races.”

:: Want to get the latest news with your past performances? Try DRF’s new digital PPs

Six Shooter got his shot at stakes company one start later, finishing an uncharacteristic 11th in the $400,000 Springboard Mile Dec. 16 at Remington Park.

“He had a really rough trip in the race at Remington,” Holthus said. “Nothing went his way. He got away a little funky, was bothered in the first turn, was rushed up, then was sawed off at the eighth pole. It wasn’t his day. He’s trained really, really well since.”

Six Shooter is based at Oaklawn and was to make the six-hour ship to Delta Downs on Friday, said Holthus.

“He seems to travel really, really well,” he said.

Holthus is hopeful the horse will adapt to the six-furlong oval in Louisiana.

“He’s an athletic horse,” said Holthus, who has given the mount to Tommy Pompell.

Ninth Street, who is trained by Steve Asmussen, also could get a decent setup. He rallied from off the pace to take the seven-furlong Jean Lafitte by six lengths on Oct. 20 at Delta Downs. The race came one start after he captured a maiden special weight at a mile at Remington Park. Diego Saenz has the mount from post 3.

Others in the field include Stupify, who has run third in sprint stakes in his last two starts, the Kip Deville at Remington and the Zia Park Juvenile, and Troy Ounce, a maiden special weight winner at Churchill Downs.

Kid Perfect makes a rare appearance on dirt in the Sam’s Town. He finished fourth in the $74,000 Bonapaw on turf Dec. 22 at Fair Grounds. Gerard Melancon has the mount from post 7 for trainer Angel Montano.

The chief rivals in a competitive race include Zoot Suit, a recent allowance winner at Delta, and Liger, who has started his career 2 for 2.