Bigger Picture Earns First Stakes Victory in Red Smith Handicap

Three Diamonds Farm’s Bigger Picture and jockey Jose Ortiz bided their time in sixth on the outside before outrunning race favorites Wake Forest and Danish Dynaformer in the $200,000 Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap. The five-year-old Badge of Silver gelding earned his first stakes win and gave Ortiz his third consecutive win of the day.

The Red Smith featured 11 horses, three-years-old and up, going 1 3/8 miles on Aqueduct’s turf course. Bigger Picture (9-1) broke from post nine and settled nicely as I’ll Call set easy fractions of :25.14, :49.80, 1:15.18, and 1:39.39. Sitting behind Bigger Picture was 3-5 favorite Wake Forest on the rail in seventh, and 5-1 co-second choice Danish Dynaformer on the outside.

As the field rounded the turn for home, I’ll Call tried to surge down the stretch but could not hold the lead. Bigger Picture easily came to the front with Danish Dynaformer looming behind him. Wake Forest also came on to challenge, but was stuck dueling with Danish Dynaformer while Bigger Picture refused to let the two pass. Bigger Picture was 1 1/4 lengths in front when he hit the wire in 2:15.46. Danish Dynaformer was second by a head bob in a photo finish over Wake Forest.

The win was worth $21.40, $9.00, and $3.90. Danish Dynaformer paid $7.40 and $3.10, and Wake Forest returned $2.10. Arties Silver Mine was fourth, followed by Up With the Birds, Messi, I’ll Call, Tale of Fancy, Biz the Nurse, Smooth Daddy, and Rum Tum Tugger. Tommy Macho was scratched.

“I felt if I made a move I could get in a good position on the turn before No. 1 [Rum Tum Tugger],” said Ortiz. “I just felt like doing it and it worked out perfectly. They went slow but I could've stayed back because my horse was very relaxed. I made him go a little bit and got great position on the turn. I knew Johnny [Velasquez, aboard No. 11 Danish Dynaformer] was coming from the outside but we entered the stretch and I let him go and he responded. He's a very game horse, when he felt the horse [Danish Dynaformer] coming towards him he flicked his ears and tried to kick on.”

The Red Smith improved Bigger Picture’s career record to 20-8-4-1. Bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Bigger Picture raced in their silks under trainer Michael Maker before being claimed for $25,000 by Mulberry Stables in August 2014 and was placed under the care of Linda Rice. Come November 2015, Bigger Picture went back to the Maker barn when he was claimed for $32,000 by Three Diamonds Farm. Bigger Picture won three allowance/optional claiming races and was second in the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes by a nose before winning the Red Smith. His career earnings now stand at $464,735.

By Christine Oser