Comedy Town looks to stay undefeated on dirt in Benny the Bull

Comedy Town will attempt to remain unbeaten on dirt Saturday when the 6-year-old makes his third start on the surface in the $100,000 Benny the Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up anchors an 11-race card. It drew eight, including Big Data, winner of last year’s Super Derby at Louisiana Downs; Vivir Con Alegria, a Group 2 winner in his native Chile; and Saint Tapit, who is out of Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.

After being claimed in March, Comedy Town made his dirt debut in his 25th career start on June 8. He won the Gulfstream allowance and returned a month later to capture the Smile Sprint with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 100. Both starts were over six furlongs.

“He obviously ran big last time,” said Saffie Joseph Jr., who co-owns and trains Comedy Town. “We had tried him in the allowance first on dirt, and he won and it was sloppy, so we didn’t know how he would handle a fast dirt.

“He trained well. That’s why we tried it, but it didn’t work out to be fast. And then I thought the second performance was very big. I liked how he sat and quickened nicely. He got a huge Beyer for it. So, here we are again. We’re stretching him out a bit to seven-eighths, but off the last race you would think it’s well within his reach. If he can duplicate it, he’ll be tough.”

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Comedy Town is by Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Speightstown and is out of the Grade 3-winning mare Unbridled Humor, whose five career wins came on turf. Comedy Town has made the bulk of his starts on turf, winning twice on the surface. He’s also a winner on Tapeta.

“We ran back on Tapeta first time for us, because that’s what he had been doing,” Joseph said. “He didn’t run too good for us, so after that it was the right time to try the dirt. He had trained well on it, and things worked out. Hopefully, he keeps going the right way.”

Drayden Van Dyke has the mount from post 6 for Joseph and Ten Twenty Racing.

Big Data is launching his 4-year-old campaign in what will be his first out since running second by a neck in the Bourbon Trail last September at Churchill Downs. He was given some down time over the winter.

“He’s a bigger, stronger, heavier horse than he was last year, and it’s taken longer to get him back,” trainer Michael Lerman said. “I’m on his schedule. He’s not on mine.”

Lerman said he was hoping to return in an allowance, but could not get a suitable race and targeted the Benny the Bull.

“It’s a first step, a building block,” he said of the horse who ultimately will move back to two turns. “Going forward, he’s a horse you’re going too hear about.”

Emisael Jaramillo has the mount from post 3 for Petal Power Racing Stable.

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