The Big Torpedo surges late for Spectacular Bid triumph

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - For most of the opening half-mile of Sunday’s $150,000 Spectacular Bid at Aqueduct it appeared all 6-5 favorite The Big Torpedo needed to secure his first stakes victory was a clear path to run through down the stretch. In the end, that’s exactly how the race played out, The Big Torpedo exploding up the rail through the final furlong to a very convincing 3 1/2-length victory over the 15-1 Courtly Banker in the six-furlong turf dash for 3-year-old New York-breds.

The Big Torpedo came into the Spectacular Bid off a second-place finish against open company going a mile on the grass in the Woodhaven Stakes seven weeks ago; he earned a career-best 82 Beyer Stakes Figure for the performance.

He was even better on Sunday, readily putting to rest any concern his trainer, Tom Morley, might have had turning him back in distance for the race.

With regular rider Eric Cancel aboard, The Big Torpedo stalked the early pace set by the previously undefeated Bustin Away and stalked from the outset by Courtly Banker. Cancel had a hand-full of horse while saving ground in behind the leaders down the backstretch and around the bend.

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Cancel waited patiently for a hole to open as the field turned for home, then found the opportunity he was looking for, angling The Big Torpedo inside the top two to join for command nearing the furlong marker. From that point home, the issue was never in doubt, The Big Torpedo readily wrested control before steadily widening his advantage while kept under vigorous urging to the end.

Like the winner, Courtly Banker, a maiden coming into the race, was shortening up from a mile to six furlongs, although he still had enough speed to prompt the issue from the start before ultimately overtaking the tiring Bustin Away by a neck to be second-best. He was followed across the wire, in turn, by Fidelightcayut, Grand Opening, Heavyweight Champs, Retail Man and Freedsdale.

The Big Torpedo, a New York-bred son of Big Brown, completed the distance over a firm course in 1:08.38 seconds and paid $4.70 for his second win in seven career starts.

“Turf sprints always give you anxious moments unless you’re cruising along in the two path,” Morley said. “I thought it was an extremely patient ride, but he (Candel) had the utmost faith in this horse from the moment he sat on him for the first time. I really thought he executed that perfectly. He was as patient as he needed to be and waited until the right hole came at the right time and off he went.”

Morely said the one-mile Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes would be next up for The Big Torpedo at Saratoga on July 18.

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