Big Q rolls to victory in Key Cents Stakes

Big Q apparently runs well fresh.

She won her career debut at Saratoga and on Saturday at Aqueduct returned from a layoff of nearly three months to blitz the $100,600 Key Cents Stakes by five lengths.

Jose Lezcano rode the winner for trainer Gary Gullo and owner DutchessViews Farm. Big Q paid $20.80 to win and was timed in 1:12.22 over a slow-playing dirt track. Playtone finished a distant second, 3 1/2 lengths in front of Time Limit. Playtone surprisingly was the narrow 2-1 favorite over 5-2 Time Limit.

Time Limit’s strong early speed might have been negatively affected by a dull racing strip. All Over the Map, who wound up being eased across the wire, was sent hard from the rail to challenge need-the-lead Time Limit and though the first quarter-mile went in just 22.91 seconds and the half in a tepid 46.97, Time Limit had no answer when Big Q loomed outside her at the quarter pole. Lezcano stayed busy aboard his mount, who drew steadily away to post a definitive victory.

"I thought we were going to sit back and make up ground, but she's sharp," Gullo said. "We freshened her up and had her ready. It was a pretty good race."

Big Q is by Big Brown out of Gabby Q, by Forestry. This was a good payday for the filly, who was fifth in the Grade 2 Adirondack and fifth facing New York-breds in the Seeking the Ante on Aug. 23, but there’s a bigger one upcoming next month, with Gullo pointing the filly for the $500,000 Fifth Avenue Division of the New York Stallion Stakes on Dec. 15.