“Diamonds in the Rough”BY J. KEELER JOHNSON |
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P R E C I O U S C U T C O L L E C T I O N |
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Big Thrill a Very Professional 2yo FillyDaughter of Big Drama Surges Between Horses to Win her Debut |
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| Once in a while, a young horse comes along and wins a race in such impressive fashion that you just know that they are going to be something special. Such was the case with Big Thrill, a 2yo daughter Big Drama that won her debut in breathtaking fashion on August 12th at Saratoga.
Big Thrill gave no hints in the pre-race post parade that she was sitting on a big race. Nothing about her demeanor caught my eye; instead, my focus was drawn to Creeker’s Cat, who bounced around enthusiastically and looked ready to run. Calmer, but still very impressive, was More That Lily, a beautiful filly that seemed to exude class even while simply standing. Several fillies, including Kentucky Road, More That Lily, and Double Dose, were reluctant to load into the gate. But this reluctance didn’t have any affect on More That Lily, who rocketed out of the starting gate and charged down the backstretch like an Olympic speed skater. With piston-like strides, she quickly opened up a two-length lead over Tizasong, who had broken a step slowly but soon rushed into contention. But the horse that drew the most attention at the start was Big Thrill, who practically walked out of the gate and spotted the field several lengths. It was the kind of start that would eliminate |
most horses from contention, and having no particular reason to keep an eye on Big Thrill, I turned my attention back to the front-runners and watched as More That Lily ran the opening quarter-mile in :22.18, a quick fraction. Shortly thereafter, she was challenged on the outside by Tizasong, while J R Star was rallying smoothly and strongly into contention on the far outside. But just as J R Star was moving up to take the lead — just as More That Lily was beginning to shorten stride — Big Thrill appeared from nowhere, charging into fourth place while rapidly gaining ground. As my jaw dropped and I watched in disbelief, Big Thrill split horses like a seasoned pro, diving through a narrow opening and seizing command of the lead. Her move was so impressive as to appear nonchalant; it was as if Big Thrill did this every day and was simply toying with her opposition.
Amazingly, as the wire drew nearer, Big Thrill seemed to reach another gear, extending her lead to four lengths at the finish while stopping the clock for 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.89 seconds. J R Star ran well–very well–to finish second, but proved no match for Big Thrill. Trained by Linda Rice for the partnership of Lady Sheila Stable, Iris Smith Stable, and Linda Rice, Big Thrill looks like a filly that could be any kind, and a jump to graded stakes company next time out would definitely not be a surprise. -J. Keeler Johnson |
| Special thanks to “War Eagle” for creating the design of this article! | |
