Dream Bigger rolls to Damon Runyon victory

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Junior Alvarado was going to succeed or fail using Dream Bigger’s speed in Sunday’s $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct.

Despite breaking awkwardly from the rail, Alvarado succeeded in rushing Dream Bigger to the lead and, after putting away the pace-prompting Scilly Cay, Dream Bigger drew clear to a 7 3/4-length victory in the stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old males.

More Gratyful finished second by three-quarters of a length over the slow-starting Bourbon Bay. Prince of Pharoahs, Titan’s Will, and Scilly Cay completed the order of finish.

Chowda, coming off a victory in the Gander Stakes last month, was scratched from the Damon Runyon Sunday morning due to the finding of heat in a foot and a knee, according to trainer Gary Sciacca.

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The victory was the third in seven starts for Dream Bigger, all in stakes races. Dream Bigger, a son of Mission Impazible owned by Mike Repole and trained by Rudy Rodriguez, at 2 won the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes in September and the Notebook Stakes at Aqueduct in November.

Alvarado had never ridden Dream Bigger until Sunday. But watching his previous races, Alvarado felt he was better when put on the lead.

“That was my only plan today, put him on the lead from the [rail], see how far he could carry his speed,” Alvarado said. “Today, he had a good day and carried it all the way to the wire.”

Alvarado said Dream Bigger lost a little momentum when he took a left-hand turn out of the gate. But Alvarado got him back in the game and vying for the lead with Scilly Cay through a half-mile in 46.60 seconds. Leaving the three-furlong marker, Dream Bigger put away Scilly Cay and, despite not changing leads in the stretch, he was never threatened late.

Rodriguez said he was not told by Alvarado until after the race that he was going to put him on the lead no matter what.

“He broke a little slow but then Junior hustled him and took it from there, I got to give all the credit to Junior,” Rodriguez said.

Dream Bigger covered the seven furlongs in 1:25.89 and returned $6 as the favorite. Dream Bigger has been favored in all seven of his races, but his 2-1 price Sunday was his highest.

Rodriguez said he would likely keep Dream Bigger in the New York Stallion Stakes series. The next NYSS opportunity is the $200,000 Times Square division going 6 1/2 furlongs here on April 19.