Big Handsome takes on elders in allowance

ELMONT, N.Y. – After Big Handsome got beat a neck in a fast renewal of the Allied Forces Stakes last month at Belmont Park, trainer Tony Dutrow said he would target the inaugural running of the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship with the 3-year-old son of Street Boss.

But there are 76 days between those two races, and Dutrow didn’t want to wait that long to run Big Handsome. Thus, Big Handsome will take on older horses for the first time in a $90,000 allowance race that serves as Friday’s feature at Belmont Park.

“It’s seven weeks, the horse is fantastic,” Dutrow said. “I thought, ‘Why not?’ ”

Big Handsome won his first three starts on turf, beginning in March and concluding with a 5 1/4-length victory in the Paradise Creek Stakes here May 27. Though he’s lost his last three races, all on turf, one could hardly call those performances disappointing. He got beat a neck by Bricks and Mortar in the Manila Stakes and lost to that same rival by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga. In the Allied Forces, Big Handsome was beaten a neck by White Flag in a race that was run in 1:07.14.

“He got beat on the square, but once again how can you complain about Big Handsome?” Dutrow said. “He gives it to you every race whether it’s 5 1/2 or a mile and a sixteenth, and he runs with good horses.”

The last time Big Handsome ran in an allowance race was here in April when he scored a 4 1/2-length front-running win, covering six furlongs in 1:08.69.

Commend drops back into allowance company for the first time in three starts. He won a 5 1/2-furlong race Aug. 16 at Saratoga and then ran in two stakes, finishing second, a half-length behind Hogy, in the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint, and sixth in the Grade 2 Woodford on Oct. 7 at Keeneland.

Commend is 2 for 3 at Belmont, with both wins at six furlongs.

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KEY CONTENDERS

Big Handsome, by Street Boss
Last 3 Beyers: 97-93-89

◗ A speed demon earlier in his career, Big Handsome has learned to sit off horses if need be.

◗ Has two wins and two seconds over Belmont’s turf course, with both losses coming by a neck.

Commend, by War Front
Last 3 Beyers: 82-93-96

◗ His last two wins have come in allowance company, and he ran a solid second in the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint in between.

◗ Wheels back three weeks after throwing in a clunker in the Woodford.

Dubini, by Gio Ponti
Last 3 Beyers: 77-87-92

◗ Won his first four starts before finishing ninth of 10 in the Grade 3 Turf Monster at Parx Racing last time out.

◗ Blew out a swift three furlongs in 35.20 seconds Oct. 8 at Parx.