Da Big Hoss Repeats in Kentucky Turf Cup
Da Big Hoss was exactly that in his Grade 3 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup repeat. Happy to run with the back of the field for most of the 1 ½ miles turf race, the son of Lemon Drop Kid showcased a burst of speed and swept to the front of the Kentucky Downs course, fending off a game Bullards Alley to get his fourth consecutive stakes win.
With a group of horses vying for the lead, it was 60-1 longshot Rum Tum Tugger who guided the field around the European styled course. Bullards Alley was able to shuffle for second position. At the opposite end, 1-2 favorite Da Big Hoss and jockey Florent Geroux were biding their time while Mike Maker stablemate Greengrassofyoming trailed the field.
In the final turn heading down the decline, Da Big Hoss showed once again how much he loves the distance turf races. While Julien Leparoux took Greengrassofyoming to the outside, Da Big Hoss and Geroux began passing horses on the inside until they found an opening to the front. His stablemate gave chase, but Da Big Hoss only had Bullards Alley left to battle on the inside before hitting the wire in 2:35.08, prevailing by 1 ¼ lengths.
The winner paid $3.00, $2.40, and $2.10 while 18-1 Bullards Alley returned $10.20 and $6.80. Rum Tum Tugger held on for third to deliver $12.20. Greengrassofyoming was fourth, followed by Power Foot, Life’s Journey, Behesht, Verger, and Seve’s Road.
The Kentucky Turf Cup improved Da Big Hoss’s record to 21-12-1-3 and the winner’s share of the $600,000 purse boosted his earnings to $1,551,696. Skychai Racing, LLC claimed Da Big Hoss from Gary and Mary West in June 2015 for $50,000 and have won seven stakes races with the five-year-old since then.
“All I can say is he’s the second-best marathon horse in the United States,” Maker said of Da Big Hoss, noting Flintshire as number one.
“The only thing I would have liked would to have been 1-2, but I’m not complaining. I just have so much confidence in this horse. Some people get nervous. It’s hard to get nervous, when he’s accomplished what he’s done. He owes us nothing. Just enjoy everything we can.”
Geroux commented, “I’ve been riding him all year long and got some big wins with him and he’s just a very unique horse to ride. You need to ride confident, but you also cannot give him too much to do and make things impossible.”
In regards to runner-up Bullards Alley, trainer Tim Glyshaw said, “I couldn’t be prouder of him. That’s just a monster horse that Mike has, and we knew that we were probably running for second and to be second and earning $120,000, that’s the most he’s ever made in a race.”
Maker also confirmed that Da Big Hoss would head to Santa Anita Park for the Breeders’ Cup Turf in November. “I think we just go right to the Breeders’ Cup,” he said. “He runs really well fresh.”
By Christine Oser