Big Looie earns big win in Milwaukee Avenue Handicap

STICKNEY, Ill. – On paper, there were five horses with a frontrunning style in the Milwaukee Avenue Handicap, but out on the track, there was Big Looie, sailing alone on a clear lead through modest fractions.

“We thought we might be laying third,” said jockey Rosemary Homeister.

Left to set his own pace, Big Looie could not be caught, beating the race’s defending champion, Luv Bandit, by 2 1/2 lengths in the $86,200 Milwaukee Avenue.

Big Looie, a 7-year-old gelding by Military, bred and owned by the S D Brilie Limited Partnership, and trained by Christine Janks, won for the eighth time in 41 starts, but this was his most important victory in quite some time, and Big Looie’s two wins during a nine-start 2013 campaign both came for a mid-level claiming price.

Big Looie dueled himself into defeat in an April 9 optional-claiming prep for the Milwaukee Avenue, which is why with all the other apparent speed entered Saturday, Janks and Homeister had opened the possibility of taking back a bit. But when Big Looie broke sharply and no one offered a serious early challenge, Homeister went on.

“I decided if they want to go for it, they can go around,” Homeister said.

As pace-pressers Flathead River and Reigning Catfish fell away, Luv Bandit, getting a good inside tracking trip, ranged up to challenge in the upper stretch, but Big Looie turned him back, going on to a definitive victory. Dad Are We Here rallied mildly for third, 5 1/2 lengths behind Luv Bandit, with the others left far behind. Winning time for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track was 1:44.64, and Big Looie paid $10.20 to win.

Pistols Drawn wins Pretty Jenny by 6 1/2 lengths

The Asiel Stable of Richard Radke, trainer Carlos Silva, and jockey Rafael Hernandez scored their second stakes win of the day when Pistols Drawn easily won the $84,575 Pretty Jenny.

The same connections had captured the Peach of It Handicap with Diva’s Diamond.

Pistols Drawn, a 3-year-old filly by First Defence, was buried the first three starts of her career last year, but she won a $25,000 maiden claimer by 17 lengths here in November and has been fairly solid since. That blowout maiden win, as well as Pistols Drawn’s easy March 26 allowance victory here, had come around two turns, and the Pretty Jenny, at six furlongs, was Pistols Drawn’s first one-turn victory.

Pistols Drawn had no issues with the trip, sticking within striking range of 4-5 pace-setting favorite Richies Sweetheart before launching a three-wide bid on the far turn that quickly carried her to the lead and onto a 6 1/4-length victory. Brazyn Appeal finished second, and Gabio was third, while Richies Sweetheart faded badly to seventh.

Pistols Drawn paid $10.60 to win and was timed in 1:11.59.