Class edge to Biglie Smallworld

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Biglie Smallworld, who closed out his 2-year-old season with a stakes win last September, returns to action Thursday in the eighth race at Oaklawn Park. The second-level allowance sprint is the last non-stakes feature of the meet, with the annual Racing Festival of the South set to open here on Friday with the Grade 2 Fantasy.

Biglie Smallworld won the $40,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman in his last start, Sept. 8. The victory makes him the lone stakes winner in Thursday's allowance, for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.

Biglie Smallworld was a maiden winner in his career debut last May at Prairie Meadows. From there, he traveled to Arlington Park and was second in a July allowance to eventual stakes winner Jack Grant, and third in the $41,000 Spectacular Bid in August to eventual Grade 3 winner Officer Rocket.

Biglie Smallworld picked up a stakes win of his own one start later in the Freshman, when he closed from last to win the six-furlong race in a sharp 1:10.60. For his return, he shows a nice series of works at Oaklawn.

"You're always concerned when they come off a layoff; you want to try have them fit and sharp, and I think he's both," said Chris Richard, who trains Biglie Smallworld for Maggi Moss. "I think he's ready to run. Obviously, with any horse, he's going to really improve in his second start off the layoff, but I think he's ready to run well."

Biglie Smallworld is a son of Meadowlake, and while his biggest win came from off the pace, he also has natural speed. He will break from post 6 under Eddie Razo Jr.

"I think if it's a slow pace, he'll be up front, and I think if it's an extremely quick pace, he'll rate," said Richard. "He's a pretty kind horse. He can do whatever he needs to do. He's run well on both ends."

The chief threats to Biglie Smallworld appear to be a trio of 4-year-olds: Iftheshoefits, Taco Don, and Golden Ice.

Iftheshoefits was a first-level allowance winner at Oaklawn in his last start, March 23, when he wired the field to win the six-furlong race in a sharp 1:10.60.

Taco Don also wired the field in a first-level allowance in his last start, which came at Hawthorne on Oct. 14.

Golden Ice has won his last two starts, both at Oaklawn.