Big Drink of Water shows the way in Victoria

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Big Drink of Water ($22.60) made all the running in Saturday’s $102,800 Victoria Stakes at Woodbine, beating the troubled favorite Armistice Day easily under Pablo Morales.

Big Drink of Water, who shipped in from Presque Isle Downs, shook loose on the turn through quick fractions in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint, and then drew off in the stretch to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths, in a time of 1:03.74.

Armistice Day trailed on the backstretch, and lacked room between rivals at the quarter pole before closing to finish a clear second over Crawl From the Bar. Wallace and The Newfie Express completed the order of finish.

Morales won the first 2-year-old stakes of the meet for fillies, the July 7 My Dear, by disqualification on another Presque Isle shipper, Stifling.

“He’s just a super-talented horse,” Morales said of Big Drink of Water. “Every time I’ve been on him, I’m surprised how easily he does things. He’s like an old horse. I had an idea before I got into the gate that I was going to find myself on the lead. He was really ready, and really sharp. I wasn’t going to take the race away from him. The fractions showed like he was going a little fast, it felt like he was floating. I had a lot of confidence in this horse.”

A gelded son of Soldat, Big Drink of Water banked $60,000 for Endeavor Bloodstock and trainer Teresa Connelly.

“He’s been a phenomenal baby to train, just the easiest that you’ve ever wanted to have in your stable, Connelly said. “Pablo loves him as much as I do. I was just ecstatic that he would come ride him. I didn’t even expect him to be on the lead. I expected Wallace to be there. I let Pablo call the shots.”