Big Drink of Water wires Fitz Dixon Memorial for fourth straight win
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
The well-traveled Big Drink of Water made a second successful trip to Presque Isle Downs, and, after posting a wire-to-wire victory in the $100,000 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile on Thursday night, now owns three stakes victories at as many tracks.
The race was one of two stakes on closing night of the meet at the Erie, Pa., track. Later in the evening, Point System won the $100,000 H.B.P.A. Stakes for fillies and mares.
Big Drink of Water ($5), sent off as the favorite, got away quickly from post 4 under Jose Valdivia Jr. With second choice Delta Express – who entered the Dixon Memorial unbeaten off a victory in Presque Isle's Mark McDermott Stakes – pressuring him on the outside a half-length off, he led through a sharp opening quarter of 22.39 seconds, and half in 45.04 seconds.
Big Drink of Water shook off his challenger turning for home and opened up on the rest of the field, driving to a 2 3/4-length victory. He stopped the clock in 1:16.90 for the 6 1/2 furlongs on the all-weather track.
Amy Farah Fowler, who won the Mrs. Henry D. Paxson Memorial Stakes last out after finishing second in the McDermott, pursued the pace set by the two geldings along the inside and was easily best of the rest of the field, finishing second and three lengths clear of Thunderous Gem in third. Delta Express faded back to seventh
Big Drink of Water, a Soldat gelding who is based at Arlington with trainer Larry Rivelli, has now won four consecutive races. After breaking his maiden in May at Presque Isle, he won the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine and the Arlington-Washington Futurity at his home track before returning to Pennsylvania.
The well-bred Point System ($37.40) upset the field in a blanket finish as she earned her first stakes victory in the H.B.P.A.
Point System and Pablo Morales were 11th in the field of 12 with just over a quarter-mile remaining, and launched a furious rally on the far, far outside to get up by a neck over Lift Up. The latter finished a nose ahead of Burma Road, who was a neck ahead of My Arch Enemy. It was just another neck to Rose Tree, who finished a neck ahead of Giada Vegas.
The final time for one mile and 70 yards was 1:42.48.
Point System, a Pin Oak Stable homebred who is trained by Graham Motion, is by the farm's stallion Broken Vow and is out of Pin Oak homebred Brownie Points, a multiple graded stakes winner who is already the dam of graded stakes winner Synchrony. Point System has won twice from four starts this year, with both victories coming at Presque Isle.
