Dream Bigger clearly best in Notebook Stakes

Dream Bigger flashed his speed, flexed his muscles, and won the $100,000 Notebook Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths Sunday at Aqueduct.

Moonachie was sent from the gate to challenge Dream Bigger for the early lead in this six-furlong dirt race for New York-bred 2-year-olds, tactics that turned out poorly for Moonachie. On a dull, tiring strip, Moonachie held the lead through a quarter mile in 22.95 seconds, at which point Jose Ortiz let Dream Bigger go on the attack.

Dream Bigger, by Mission Impazible out of Downtown Daria, by Sky Mesa, is a big, big boy, one of those early-developing colts with the coordination and athleticism to put his ample speed to good use. He pounced on Moonachie and the expenditure of energy Moonachie used trying to keep up with Dream Bigger around the turn and into the homestretch totally emptied him. After a half-mile in 46.63 seconds, Moonachie slid back to last as Dream Bigger continued, getting a fifth furlong in a solid 12.42 seconds before the midrace duel exacted its toll on him. Dream Bigger, though, is just a much larger and stronger horse right now than Moonachie, and the price he paid was Scilly Bay making mild inroads to close from four lengths down at the stretch call to 1 1/4 lengths back at the wire. Winning time for Dream Bigger was 1:12.28, and with strong form and a good outside draw making Dream Bigger easy to pick out, he paid just $3.70 to win.

Rudy Rodriguez trains Dream Bigger for Mike Repole, and maybe at some point they will dream bigger and try open stakes competition. For now, there is the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes on Dec. 14 as an obvious goal.

Dream Bigger ran into top 2-year-old Tiz the Law in his career debut, then took a surprising loss second time out to Harris Bay, who never came close to threatening in the Notebook and checked in fourth, a half-length behind third-place Bank On Shea and a mile behind the winner. Dream Bigger comfortably reversed the Harris Bay form Sunday on the heels of a blowout victory at Finger Lakes last out in a rich New York-restricted stakes. He’s yet to race beyond 6 1/2 furlongs and, being built like a tank, might not go much farther. Racing in blinkers for the second time Sunday, Dream Bigger performed more professionally even than in his most recent start, changing leads properly and running relatively straight.