Bigger Picture (Badge of Silver) was patiently handled by “Jersey” Joe Bravo and flew up the rail late to win a thrilling renewal of the GI United Nations S. in course record time at
Monmouth Park Saturday. Biding his time racing well off the pace as heavily favored 'TDN Rising Star' Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid) and Itsinthepost (Fr) (American Post {GB}) hooked up through a lively half-mile in :46.97, the GIII John B. Connally Turf Cup winner hugged the rail and began to pick up steam down the backstretch. Pausing a bit in traffic midway on the bend, the Three Diamonds Farm colorbearer found a seam on the inside as others were stymied in traffic and rallied to edge out Can'thelpbelieving (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) by a head in the shadow of the wire at odds of 10-1.
“Joe knows the place better than anyone and hats off to him for riding a great race,” said winning trainer Mike Maker. “I was getting a little concerned he wasn't going to get a hole, but Joe did everything right. They went at it pretty good up front and that worked to our advantage. The [GI] Arlington Million [Aug. 12] is a possibility, but we'll talk it over with the owner and make a decision. For now, we'll sit back and enjoy this one.”
A $32,000 claim by these connections off owners Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables and trainer Rudy Rodriguez in November of 2015, Bigger Picture ran eighth in last year's renewal of the U.N. He also has a close second in last October's GIII Sycamore S. and a win in last November's GIII Red Smith H. on his resume. Bigger Picture followed his aforementioned win at Sam Houston with a close fourth in the GII Mac Diarmida S. at Gulfstream Mar. 4 and third-place finish behind Itsinthepost in the GII Dixiana Elkhorn S. last time at Keeneland Apr. 22.
“The plan was to run out of there and let him find himself, but they were really smoking early,” Bravo said. “He's an old horse, he knows how to run. I definitely didn't expect to be that far back, but once he started running, he was really rolling.”
Pedigree Notes:
Bigger Picture, bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, is out of Glory Dancer, a $45,000 KEESEP yearling purchase and winner of one of nine career starts. In addition to the stakes winner Gung Ho (Kitten's Joy) and the stakes-placed Kitten's Dancer (Kitten's Joy), the 15-year-old is also represented by an unraced 2-year-old colt by Big Brown and a We Miss Artie colt of this year. This is also the extended female family of GISWs Dancing Spree, Furlough and Fantastic Find.
Saturday, Monmouth Park
UNITED NATIONS S.-GI, $321,000, MTH, 7-1, 3yo/up, 1 3/8mT, 2:10.81, fm.
1–&BIGGER PICTURE, 118, g, 6, by Badge of Silver
1st Dam: Glory Dancer, by Honour and Glory
2nd Dam: Dancing All Night, by Nijinsky II
3rd Dam: Blitey, by Riva Ridge
O-Three Diamonds Farm; B-Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey (KY);
T-Michael J. Maker; J-Joe Bravo. $180,000. Lifetime Record:
25-10-4-2, $831,135. *1/2 to Gung Ho (Kitten' Joy), SW &
GISP, $326,523. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”eqb-cardioclient”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Can'thelpbelieving (Ire), 118, g, 6, Duke of Marmalade (Ire)–
Embark (GB), by Soviet Star. (€60,000 Wlg '11 GOFNOV;
€38,000 RNA Ylg '12 GOFORB). O-Albert Frassetto; B-G. Kelly,
Milltownmore & Pinnacle B/S (IRE); T-H. Graham Motion.
$60,000.[bullet ad=”selected-privately-by-jane-buchanan”]3–Beach Patrol, 118, c, 4, Lemon Drop Kid–Bashful Bertie, by
Quiet American. ($250,000 Wlg '13 KEENOV). O-James Covello,
Sheep Pond Partners & Head of Plains Partners LLC; B-Nancy
Shuford (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $30,000.[bullet ad=”elmtree-salesgrad”][bullet ad=”106322″]Margins: HD, 1 3/4, HD. Odds: 10.70, 11.20, 1.40.
Also Ran: Lucky Lindy, Itsinthepost (Fr), Closing Bell, Oscar Nominated, Liam the Charmer, Messi (Ger). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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