Royal Squeeze caps a big day for his owners in Big Drama

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Former claimer Royal Squeeze held off the fast-closing 3-year-old Garter and Tie to register a 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Big Drama Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Royal Squeeze gave the ownership team of Imaginary Stables and Glenn Ellis their second stakes win of the day. Several minutes earlier, the partnership captured the $75,000 Serena’s Song at Monmouth Park with Breaking Bread, who was elevated to first in the filly and mare stakes via a stewards' disqualification.

Imaginary and Ellis haltered the 7-year-old Royal Squeeze for $25,000 and turned him over to trainer Elizabeth Dobles in early February. The veteran won a pair of starter allowance races off the claim before stepping up to the Big Drama, a seven-furlong dash restricted to Florida-breds, on Saturday.

With regular rider Samy Camacho aboard, Royal Squeeze raced within easy striking distance of the early leaders, split rivals to take command nearing the quarter pole, and shook off Driven by Thunder to draw well clear through midstretch before holding safe a belated charge from Garter and Tie. The latter, the only 3-year-old in the field, raced near the back of the pack to the stretch before finishing full of run down the center of the course to prove second-best. Mr. Jordan swung wide and rallied belatedly to finish third.

Royal Squeeze completed the distance in a swift 1:22.33 and paid $8 as the co-favorite along with Kroy, who finished a tiring sixth in the nine-horse field.

“My partner Glenn Ellis loved the horse and Elizabeth had him on the radar,” said Imaginary Stable’s John Guarnere when asked what prompted the team to take Royal Squeeze. “What a great claim it was. Elizabeth and Glenn were all over it. I have to give them all the credit for this claim. She is just the most underrated trainer on the grounds. What a great job she does. But she’s on the radar now.”

Guarnere said winning the stakes at Monmouth with Breaking Bread – a horse he and Ellis haltered for $30,000 nearly a year ago in Kentucky – by disqualification was poetic justice for his partner.

“It’s kind of neat this horse won by DQ since Glenn had a big bet on the Derby on Maximum Security, so it was a little justice coming back to him,” said Guarnere.