Octane back at more comfortable distance

Octane, who took his game to another level with his upset victory in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park during the winter, turns back to seven furlongs in his local return as the likely favorite in Saturday’s $100,000 Big Drama at Gulfstream Park.

The seven-furlong Big Drama shares top billing on a stellar 10-race program along with the $95,000 Mr. Steele Stakes for older horses going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Octane was the leading local 2-year-old in 2021, had an abbreviated 3-year-old campaign, then really picked up his game a year ago when graded stakes-placed during the winter before winning the restricted Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap going a mile in his penultimate start of the season here last fall.

Octane, a homebred son of Brethren owned by Arindel, has continued to improve with age while keeping a steady diet of two-turn races thus far in 2024 for trainer Juan Alvarado. His most notable performance was a three-quarter-length decision over Magic Tap in the 1 1/16-mile Razorback on Feb. 24. Unfortunately he was unable to duplicate that effort stretching to nine furlongs for the first time eight weeks later when finishing a tiring seventh in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap.

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“I don’t think he liked being trapped inside in his last start, and a mile and an eighth might be a little too far for him,” said Arindel president Brian Cohen in reference to the Oaklawn Handicap. “It wasn’t something I really wanted to do, bring him back this quick in here, but we didn’t have a lot of options moving forward.

“I didn’t want to run him in the Met Mile. Seven furlongs is no problem, and while the race certainly isn’t an easy one, it seems like a bit of a drop in class from where he was.”

A field of seven was drawn for the Big Drama with Shaq Diesel surely the sentimental favorite. Shaq Diesel is trained by David Fawkes, who mentored sprint champion Big Drama throughout a memorable career that was highlighted by his victory in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Shaq Diesel has won two of four starts this season, including a high-end allowance race going seven furlongs by 1 1/2 lengths on April 20.

“It would be nice to win this race,” Fawkes said. “I think I won the Sheer Drama but not this one. Shaq is going well and the race should set up for him. Looks like plenty of pace. I think his last win was maybe his most visually impressive and seven furlongs is definitely the best distance for him.”

Vivir Con Alegria still is seeking his first win since shipping to the U.S. from his native Chile during the fall of 2022 but could stand some catching in the Big Drama, especially if he is able to reproduce his effort in his 2024 debut when he extended the odds-on Kingsbarns to late stretch before finishing a close second under allowance conditions.

Kingsbarns flattered the effort by coming off the race to capture the Grade 3 Ben Ali and finish second in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special.

Vivir Con Alegria is one of two Chilean-breds trainer Amador Sanchez will start in the race, along with the Grade 3-placed Mbagnick. Loco Abarrio, Collaborate, and Ticking complete the lineup.

The eight-horse lineup for the Mr. Steele is headed by Main Event, who has switched barns since his fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida here on March 2. Mr. Steele was recently transferred to Fernando Abreu from trainer George Weaver, who is currently sitting out a suspension for a metformin positive.

Main Event had a good run under Weaver during the 2023-24 Championship meet, winning the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale in gate-to-wire fashion before finishing 11th, beaten less than five lengths, after setting the pace for the opening mile of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational four weeks later.

Trainer Mark Casse will counter Main Event with a pair of contenders, the in-form Eyes On the King and the returning Win for the Money.

Eyes On the King has won his last two starts, both efforts coming against allowance company at Tampa Bay Downs. Win for the Money has not started since finishing third in Woodbine’s 1 1/2-mile, Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes on Dec. 3.

The multiple stakes-winning turf veteran Me and Mr. C, Eldon’s Prince, Marwad, Love Me Not, and Benvolio round out the field.

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