Veterans Hard Aces, Big John B return in Cougar II

DEL MAR, Calif. – Like the Grade 3 marathon they run in Wednesday at Del Mar, Hard Aces and Big John B keep going, and going, and going.

The 7-year-old Hard Aces and 8-year-old Big John B have made a combined 84 starts and won 23 races, including the last two runnings of the Cougar II Handicap, a 1 1/2-mile test of stamina on the Del Mar main track.

When the two veterans, both sired by Hard Spun, return in the same stakes race Wednesday, bettors might need both on pick six tickets. The carryover is $96,600.

Hard Aces, who won Cougar II a year ago, is the 2-1 program favorite; Big John B is second choice. Five others entered the Cougar II, which Hard Aces won last year in his first try at a marathon distance. He is now 2-for-2 at a mile and a half.

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“He’s kind of turned into a specialist at this point,” trainer John Sadler said. “He’s doing as good as ever; he’s ready to go.”

Hard Aces finished third last out in the Grade 1, 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup at Santa Anita, which followed a win in the Grade 3 Tokyo Cup at 12 furlongs. “To go back in the big one [Gold Cup] and run third, we were very happy,” Sadler said.

Hard Aces will enter the Cougar II in conspicuously good form, but Big John B’s form is uncertain. He was away for nearly a year prior to a return in spring; three comeback races produced mixed results – fifth in a prep, runner-up by a neck to Hard Aces in the Tokyo City, and next-to-last in the Gold Cup.

While trainer Phil D’Amato recognizes Big John B is getting up there in age, D’Amato believes he concedes nothing in terms of ability. “If he’s lost a step, he hasn’t shown in the mornings,” D’Amato said. “Sometimes you can tell, but to me, he’s just as impressive as he’s always been.

“He’s older, and getting wiser. Maybe he wants to pick his spots more and more,” D’Amato said, explaining his last-out misfire in the Gold Cup. “It wasn’t an easy race that I threw him in the other day. He just said ‘this one’s not for me’.”

Hard Aces, with earnings of more than $1.2 million, has been favored only twice from 41 starts. Big John B has been favored 19 times from 43 starts.

Sadler also entered a potential “rabbit” in Infobedad. Others are Curlin Road, French Getaway, Noble Nick and Giant Influence.

KEY CONTENDERS

Hard Aces, by Hard Spun
Last 3 Beyers: 99-99-85

◗ Sadler has won with seven of his last eight favorites in two-turn graded stakes.

◗ Hard Aces won the 2016 Cougar II setting the pace, but with stablemate Infobedad in the field, he and jockey Santiago Gonzalez are expected to rally from behind.

◗ The biggest win for Hard Aces was the 2015 Gold Cup at Santa Anita. He has earned $992,845 since he was purchased privately by Hronis Racing in winter 2015.

Big John B, by Hard Spun
Last 3 Beyers: 93-99-86

◗ Rafael Bejarano breezed him July 20; he went in 1:00.80. “Rafael maybe has the key to him to get him to run,” D’Amato said. “He breezed real nice.”

◗ Bejarano has ridden Big John B 10 times, with four wins and two seconds.

French Getaway, by Giant’s Causeway
Last 3 Beyers: 91-85-83

◗ He earned the highest speed figures of his career his last two starts, since stretching to 1 1/2 miles for trainer Bob Hess Jr. Both races were on turf; he has run well on dirt.