Miss Bigly makes move in stretch, wins Bayakoa Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Miss Bigly shuttled through an opening between horses in the stretch en route to a 1/14-length win over She’s All Wolfe in the Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

It was another head back in third to Jilted Bride.

The Bayakoa was originally carded for last Saturday, but a winter storm system forced the cancellation of racing and it was brought back to share Saturday's card with the Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback Handicap, which was won by Plainsman.

Miss Bigly ($12.80) was content to sit off contested fractions of 23.37 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.88 for the half-mile and 1:13.33 for six furlongs. She advanced between rivals in the stretch and went on to cover the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.82.

“I worked her a couple of times in the morning, so I knew her,” jockey Ramon Vazquez said in a post-race interview broadcast by Oaklawn. “I just wanted to put her in a good spot and have a good trip and when I asked her, she responded.”

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Vazquez was aboard for trainer Phil D’Amato.

“I just thought she got a very patient ride by Ramon Vazquez,” D’Amato said in a post-race press conference. “I liked that he was just saving ground there, just waiting for an opening. I could tell she was loaded. She got the perfect split between those two horses at the top of the lane and once she inched in between there I thought she’d have a good chance.”

Miss Bigly is a daughter of Gemologist owned by Agave Racing Stable, Living the Dream Stables, and Rockin Robin Racing Stables. She was winning her first graded stakes in the Bayakoa and overall has a record of 8 wins from 26 starts for earnings of $641,242.

D’Amato said next-race plans would be determined after discussions with Miss Bigly's ownership. The intent this year is to race her and sell her at auction at the end of the season.

“We’ll talk with the owners and see what’s best,” D’Amato said. “If she’s good enough, we’ll give her a Breeders’ Cup try and send her to Kentucky.”

Miss Bigly had placed in a handful of graded stakes leading up to the Bayakoa. She is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Fashion Plate.

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