Think Big’s second-start blowout maiden win last summer at Colonial Downs had his connections – thinking big.
Think Big proceeded to lose his next two starts, but the bloom has come back on the rose. Making his turf debut, Think Big hit a career peak Dec. 7 at Fair Grounds, notching an impressive first-level sprint allowance victory. Rained out of an intended turf start in January, Think Big still performed admirably on dirt, and back on turf in the featured seventh race Friday at Fair Grounds, Think Big can continue his rise.
Think Big, a Godolphin homebred trained by Michael Stidham, is one of 16 entrants in a second-level allowance with a $50,000 claiming option carded for about 5 1/2 furlongs on grass. With the portable rail set at its outermost position, 25 feet, only nine can start, leaving a bevy of also-eligibles and one main-track-only entrant who, if the forecast holds, won’t run.
“We found out what he wanted to do,” Stidham said of Think Big, a gelded 4-year-old son of top turf-sprint sire Twirling Candy. “He’s definitely better on grass. I think the arrow is pointing the right way.”
Even Think Big’s third-place finish Jan. 10 feels promising. Last of six at the stretch call, nearly seven lengths behind the eventual winner, Think Big closed stoutly to miss second by a nose, 1 1/2 lengths from another win.
“If it’s three-quarters, he wins. He galloped out five lengths in front,” Stidham said.
The morning line lists Petcoff, a first-level turf-sprint allowance winner by a nose last month, as the 3-1 favorite, but Petcoff, a 5-year-old with 14 grass races, possesses far less upside than Think Big. Ambivalent, who starts for the $50,000 claiming price, and Call Me Andy, 10-1 on the line and a 4-year-old with room to improve, hold at least as much appeal as exacta partners for Think Big.
Godolphin, Stidham, and jockey Ben Curtis also have the most likely winner of the supporting feature, race 5, a first-level turf-route allowance with a $100,000 claiming option restricted to 3-year-old fillies. Merry and Bright, another Godolphin homebred, is set for her first start since a decent fourth Aug. 28 in the $150,000 P.G. Johnson at Saratoga.
Coming off a debut win at Colonial, Merry and Bright stalked the pace in the Johnson, lost momentum past the three-furlong marker and heading into the homestretch, then found stride again at the furlong grounds, finishing with some spark.
“She’s a very quirky filly. She looks around a lot. She sees dead people,” Stidham quipped. “We’ve been waiting forever to get her into a race. She’s ready to go.”
Thorpedo Anna back locally
Thorpedo Anna, the 2024 Horse of the Year, is on the move.
After getting a post-Breeders’ Cup breather at trainer Kenny McPeek’s farm in Kentucky, Thorpedo Anna went to McPeek’s farm in Florida, posting the first two workouts of her 4-year-old season at Gulfstream Park. But when she went out for a routine gallop under Robby Albarado on Wednesday, Thorpedo Anna was back at Fair Grounds.
Thorpedo Anna trained last winter at Fair Grounds before shipping to Oaklawn Park for her racing, and that is McPeek’s plan again this year. Thorpedo Anna’s first start of the year likely comes March 8 in Azeri at Oaklawn. McPeek said she’ll travel for the race following her final breeze.
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“She gained weight during her 60 days off, but she’s tucking up again. She needs to get a little more color to her; we body-clipped her in Florida,” McPeek said.
Meanwhile, McPeek won’t decide what he’s doing with the 3-year-old prospect Hypnus until after the colt works Saturday. Hypnus debuted Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds and won a two-turn maiden race by 2 1/2 lengths, earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.
McPeek will consider the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 15, an allowance race the same day, and the Rebel at Oaklawn, he said Wednesday. The Risen Star card will be drawn Saturday.
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