Big Macher headed to Royal Ascot for Diamond Jubilee

ARCADIA, Calif. – Big Macher, the former maiden claimer who won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar last summer, will have his next start in the $827,715 Diamond Jubilee Stakes for turf sprinters at Royal Ascot in England on June 20.

Earlier this week, Big Macher was sent from California trainer Richard Baltas to Wesley Ward in Kentucky. Ward is preparing a team of runners for the five-day Royal Ascot meeting from June 16-20, leading owners Tom Mansor and Brendan Bakir to temporarily switch trainers.

Big Macher was fifth in the $2 million Golden Shaheen for sprinters on dirt in Dubai on March 28 in his first international trip. After returning to California, the decision was made to try another international race.

The Group 1 Diamond Jubilee is the richest sprint of the Royal Ascot meeting and equal to the richest race of the week. The race is run on a straightaway course.

Brazen Beau, a two-time Group 1 winner from Australia, is the 4-1 favorite in the future-book with British bookmakers for the Diamond Jubilee.

“We’ve been wanting to do a couple of things with Big Macher,” Mansor said. “We want to try him on turf and stretch him out to a distance. This gives us an opportunity to be on the international stage and try turf. He’s a $20,000 claimer. He’s paid his way.”

Big Macher, a 5-year-old by Beau Genius, was claimed for $20,000 from a maiden race by Mansor and Bakir at Del Mar in July 2013. Big Macher has won 6 of 16 starts and earned $617,678. The Bing Crosby Stakes in 2014 is the most prestigious of the gelding’s four stakes wins.

In Dubai, Big Macher broke slowly but closed through the final quarter-mile to finish 2 1/4 lengths behind the California-based Secret Circle.

“The Dubai race wasn’t what we hoped, but the horse ran big,” Mansor said. “The only change is from a training standpoint. We decided to give Wesley a call.”

Mansor said that after Royal Ascot, Big Macher will return to Southern California with the intention of a start in the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes on July 26.