Big Macher preps for Palos Verdes

Big Macher, scratched from Saturday’s $150,000 California Cup Sprint, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Sunday for the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes at six furlongs next Saturday.

Trainer Richard Baltas timed Big Macher in a minute, going the first three furlongs in 37 seconds, and the final quarter-mile in 23 seconds. Baltas timed Big Macher galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.

Tyler Baze will ride Big Macher, replacing Rafael Bejarano, who will ride Wild Dude, the winner of the 2014 Palos Verdes Stakes. Last year, Baze rode Big Macher to wins in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande and Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes before finishing sixth in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes and ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Bejarano rode Big Macher to a win in the Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 23.

Bejarano was committed to ride Wild Dude when Baltas finalized plans for Big Macher. Baltas said that Baze’s familiarity with the 5-year-old Big Macher led to the decision to ask him to ride the horse again.

“Tyler knows the horse,” Baltas said. “We had a little bit of bad luck for a while.”

Aside from Big Macher and Wild Dude, the other candidates include Chief Lion, Chitu, Conquest Two Step, Distinctiv Passion, and Secret Circle.