Conquest Big E can show he's for real

ELMONT, N.Y. – Conquest Big E has been a work in progress for years. He’s a horse with a lot of potential who has never quite lived up to expectations.

Until now.

The 5-year-old is coming off a front-running victory over Always Dreaming and Tommy Macho in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile. The win prompted owner Daniel Hurtak and his wife, trainer Donna Green Hurtak, to ship Conquest Big E from their Gulfstream Park base to Belmont Park late last week.

On Saturday, he will get the chance to show he’s not a one-hit wonder in the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester, a one-mile race that also is expected to draw Preakness winner Cloud Computing, Tommy Macho, Tale of Silence, and possibly Bee Jersey and Unbridled Juan.

Conquest Big E was a $700,000 yearling buy at the 2014 Keeneland September sale. He began his career with Mark Casse before Tommy Roberts purchased him for $110,000 at the Conquest Stables dispersal sale in November 2016.

Following several starts with trainer Brian Lynch, Roberts sent Conquest Big E to Green Hurtak. But following a fourth-place finish in the 2017 Philip Iselin at Monmouth Park, Roberts grew frustrated and decided to sell.

The Hurtaks and longtime associate Dennis Punches bought Conquest Big E. When Punches died this winter, the Hurtaks bought his share from the estate.

“He was about 100 pounds underweight when I got him,” Green Hurtak said. “I gave him the kitchen sink, herbs and everything, and then he started eating and he started gaining and he started blossoming.

“Now, he’s like a normal racehorse. It’s still hard to keep weight on, but he’s tall and lanky and doing much better.”

Conquest Big E is a son of Tapit. Green Hurtak calls him “quirky.” In his two starts prior to his front-running Gulfstream Park Mile win, he rabbit-hopped out of the gate and then had to steady in traffic.

Green Hurtak doesn’t believe Conquest Big E needs the lead to run his best but, so far, that has been the key to his best performances.

“In his last race, he got to show what he really is,” Green Hurtak said. “That’s what meant a lot to me. Some people would disagree, but I don’t think he needs to be on the lead. He just needs a clean trip.”

Late-blooming Conquest Big E is now 5 for 20 in his career, and the best may be still to come.

“The reason I really wanted to buy him is he’s a sound horse,” Green Hurtak said. “A very intelligent horse.”