Freehold: Lindy’s Big Bang tries to make noise in Dexter Cup for Norman

The stakes season for sophomore trotters gets underway Saturday afternoon as a field of eight goes forth in a single $44,600 elimination for the Dexter Cup at Freehold Raceway. The event with a $133,800 final slated for May 5, drew 11 horses and that means that three of the eight will be eliminated and the others will join Per Lucky, Don and Maxus, all who received byes into the final.

Trainer Richard (Nifty) Norman is no stranger to top trotters having orchestrated the magnificent career of Bee A Magician. That said, Norman wasn’t exactly optimistic about the prospects for Lindy’s Big Bang a short while ago.

“If you would have asked me two months ago about putting him in the Dexter I would have said no,” said Norman about the altered son of Explosive Matter who landed the pole position on Saturday.

“He’s made a lot of progress in the last few weeks,” said Norman. “He had some ability last year but just couldn’t put it all together mentally.”

Lindy’s Big Bang enjoyed a productive season as a juvenile below the top rung, finishing on the board in seven of his 12 starts. As is the case with many young trotters maturity is a major issue. “He qualified well and then was very good in his first start, that’s why we put him in the Dexter,” said Norman, acknowledging a solid 1:55 4/5 career best at Harrah’s last Friday as evidence.

“I think he’ll be fine over the half mile track,” said Norman of Lindy’s Big Bang, a gelding co-owned by Mel Hartman and David McDuffee along with driver David Miller, who will guide him on Saturday.

The Dexter eliminations will be a solid test for many in the field looking to step up in their sophomore season. On The Ropes, a winner in five of six starts as a juvenile racing below the top Sire Stakes rung in New York, makes his sophomore debut for owner-trainer and driver Ake Svanstedt. The gelded son of Chapter Seven landed post eight but that may not keep him back considering how well he handled the half-mile tracks last year. On The Ropes was an impressive 1:55 3/5 winner in a qualifier at The Meadowlands on April 14 in the same race Lindy’s Big Bang finished third.

Thrust Control is another from that same qualifier that exhibited some ability as a freshman. Trainer Marcus Melander’s son of Cantab Hall was a pacesetting second in that qualifier and will have the services of Tim Tetrick for his sophomore debut on Saturday. Thrust Control starts from post seven.

The Norman stable appears to be gearing up for a solid stakes season and the conditioner has high hopes for a new arrival. Darlinonthebeach will be making her 5-year-old seasonal debut on Friday night in new hands.

“She’s a beautiful mare,” said Norman. “They gave her some time off and gave her to me in February.” Darlinonthebeach is approaching the $1 million mark in career earnings and needs only a fifth-place finish in Friday’s $20,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Handicap at The Meadowlands to eclipse that plateau.

Points North, a son of Somebeachsomewhere, has qualified a couple of times for Norman and will be looking at big money events down the road after completing his freshman season with seven wins in a dozen starts, including the Kindergarten Final at The Meadowlands.

“I’m not going to send him out to The Meadows for the first Pennsylvania Sire Stakes,” said Norman. “I’m going to look for an overnight at Pocono or Harrah’s and then maybe go in the second leg.”

Norman is also looking forward to Perfetto, an impressive winner in his sophomore debut last week at The Meadowlands. “He was a little goofy last year and left a lot of money on the table,” said Norman. “He was much better the other night and should do well in Ontario.” Perfetto was an Ontario Sire Stakes Gold division winner in 2017.

Reign On Me, a winner of $200K as a juvenile including a second in the Three Diamonds Final, has also come back well and Norman is pointing the daughter of Well Said for the Lismore at Yonkers, with eliminations if necessary on May 19 and a final on May 26.

Far from discouraged, Norman is looking forward to a big season from Bettor Memories after a grueling Levy series. “Six weeks in a row is a little tough and there just wasn’t an opportunity for him to be on the front end at all,” said Norman. “I’m going to give him a few weeks off. I have him staked to all of the major races and I wouldn’t be surprised if he stepped up to win one.”

Norman is training another son of Bettor’s Delight, a 2-year-old that he believes has a future. “I bought Betting Odds (Bettors Delight-Odds On PJ) because he reminded me a lot of Bettor Memories,” said Norman. “He’s training down very well.”