Bigger Picture prevails in blanket Elkhorn finish
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mike Maker was supposed to win the Elkhorn for the third time Saturday at Keeneland, but not necessarily this way.
Bigger Picture, the longest-priced of three Maker starters in the 34th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Elkhorn, overtook his favored stablemate, Zulu Alpha, in deep stretch before getting up in the final strides of the 1 1/2-mile race in defeating Red Knight by a half-length.
Bigger Picture, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, paid $16.60 as fifth choice in a field of 10 older horses after finishing in 2:32 over a yielding course.
“He might’ve been compromised a little on a slow pace in his last start,” said Maker, whose prior triumphs in the Elkhorn came with Dark Cove (2013) and Da Big Hoss (2016). “He’s a beautiful horse, an old hard-knocker. He may be getting a little long in the tooth, but he sure does love his job.”
Bigger Picture, an 8-year-old gelding owned by the Three Diamonds Farm of Kirk Wycoff, was coming off seventh-place finish in the March 30 Pan American at Gulfstream Park. A Grade 1 winner at 6, the Kentucky-bred now has won 13 of 40 starts, with the $150,000 winner’s share lifting his career bankroll to $1,646,635.
Before 17,256 on an unseasonably cold and drizzly afternoon, Bigger Picture broke smoothly and proceeded to enjoy a good mid-pack trip, saving ground for much of the way before tipping out for the drive. Red Knight, making his first start since winning the two-mile Allen Jerkens over the Gulfstream turf in late December, and Zulu Alpha, the 6-5 favorite, both had swept to the lead with outside runs leaving the quarter pole, but their ferocious duel was foiled by the late outside surge by Bigger Picture.
“It was actually pretty easy,” said Gaffalione, who was the leading jockey here last fall and is enjoying another productive meet. “We saved ground and he came running when it counted.”
Red Knight, a 7-1 chance ridden by Luis Saez, finished another half-length before Zulu Alpha, who in turn had a half-length on fourth-finisher Tiz a Slam. Soglio, a third Maker starter and the 5-1 second choice, faded to finish last.
The $2 exacta (7-8) paid $136.40, the $1 trifecta (7-8-10) returned $182.50, and the 10-cent superfecta (7-8-10-6) was worth $157.68.
After Saturday, Keeneland goes dark Sunday for the Easter holiday. The final three-day stretch of the spring meet starts Wednesday.
