Roll On Big Joe headed into Grade 1 company for Bing Crosby
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The former claimer Roll On Big Joe is bound for the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 26 after winning his second Grade 3 stakes of the year in the $250,000 Kelly’s Landing Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 28.
The $400,000 Bing Crosby Stakes is the leading sprint of the Del Mar summer meeting, which begins on July 18. The winner of the Bing Crosby receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
Roll On Big Joe was not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program as a foal, but will be supplemented as a horse of racing age for $50,000 this month, Hess said on Friday.
Roll On Big Joe (9-2) was always near the front in the Kelly’s Landing Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs and finished three-quarters of a length in front of 8-5 favorite Dr. Venkman.
The Kelly’s Landing was Roll On Big Joe’s fourth win in five starts this year. In February, Roll On Big Joe was the four-length winner of the Grade 3 Palos Verdes Stakes at six furlongs at Santa Anita.
After finishing second to Top Gunner in a six-furlong allowance race at Keeneland in April, Roll On Big Joe won an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 16 in which he was eligible to be claimed for the whopping price of $175,000. There were no takers.
“In hindsight we probably got lucky,” Hess said. “It might have been dumb move at the time, but it worked out.”
Hess trains Roll On Big Joe for the partnership of Ranch Temescal, White Fence LLC and Richard Hale Jr. Roll On Big Joe has won 7 of 18 starts and earned $494,400.
“He’s a tough guy that loves to run,” Hess said. “He’s somewhat lightly-raced and only getting better.
“He loves his job.”
Roll on Big Joe will be part of a stable of approximately 45 horses that Hess plans to have at Del Mar, including the majority of his 20-horse Kentucky-based stable, he said.
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