Saratoga: Stidham considers stretching Think Big after Jaipur

Think Big, the 6-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur at the Belmont Stakes racing festival at Saratoga, arrived Wednesday in good form and settled nicely since, much to the pleasure of conditioner Mike Stidham.

The Godolphin homebred son of Twirling Candy is fresh off a pair of Grade 2 wins in Kentucky, the Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs and Shakertown at Keeneland. He looks to solidify his position as the nation’s top turf sprinter this weekend in the Jaipur. The race offers a win-and-you're-in berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar.

“All good,” Stidham said. “Hopefully we do some good this weekend. He had his third work since Churchill and we shipped him over to Fair Hill last week, where we have some horses, and worked him on the Tapeta. He looked amazing. Just an outstanding work and I couldn’t be happier.”

Based at Delaware Park, 13 miles east of Fair Hill, Think Big is 9: 5-0-1 with earnings of $709,785. He went a half-mile in 47.6 seconds over the synthetic at Fair Hill in his last work before the Jaipur.

Speed is no surprise for him, being a son of Twirling Candy and turf sprinter Always Thinking. His sire also counts the speedy Gear Jockey, Two Sharp, Pinehurst, Finley’sluckycharm and Saturday’s rival Ag Bullet among his progeny. Always Thinking won Laurel Park’s Sensible Lady Turf Dash and was fifth in both the Franklin County (G3) at Keeneland and Grade 3 Intercontinental at Belmont Park for Tom Albertrani while donning the Godolphin blue. Additionally, his second dam Que Piensa Cat was a Group 1 winner over seven furlongs in Argentina.

“Remember, he is a gelding,” Stidham continued. “That said, it’s nice that it’s a Grade 1, but not as important for him. Our focus is keeping him healthy and in great form and then making as much money and having as much fun with him as we can. There’s this race and a race at Kentucky Downs that are definitely possibilities, as well as big races like at the Breeders’ Cup.”

Stidham did not rule out a trip to the Middle East for races like February’s $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint (G2) in Saudi Arabia and March’s $1.5 million Al Quoz Sprint (G2) at Meydan, but a different kind of exploratory mission could be in order beforehand.

“We aren’t opposed to stretching him out a little further on the grass,” he said. “Maybe seven furlongs or a mile at some point. Those kinds of possibilities make it exciting. He’s the kind of horse that makes you excited.”