Harold Queen’s champion sprinter BIG DRAMA (Montbrook) is entered to make his
first start since January in the $75,000
Whippleton overnight stakes on Sunday at Calder Race Course, a race his
connections and fans hope will get him on track to defend his title in the
November 5 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Trainer David Fawkes has named jockey Daniel Centeno to ride Big Drama in his
return as regular partner Eibar Coa continues recovering from serious injuries
sustained in a spill at Gulfstream Park on February 18. Coa was aboard the
five-year-old Florida homebred when he won the $100,000 Mr. Prospector S. (G3)
by four lengths at Gulfstream last out on January 15 in a track record time of
1:08:12 for six furlongs.
Big Drama, who faces six rivals in the 6 1/2–furlong Whippleton, sealed his
Eclipse Award-winning season with a wire-to-wire victory in the Breeders’ Cup
Sprint at Churchill last November after capturing the Ponche H. and Smile Sprint
H. (G2) over his home track at Calder to begin his campaign. He followed those
two wins with runner-up efforts in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G1) and Forego
S. (G1) prior to his Breeders’ Cup run.
The best-known and most accomplished entered to challenge Big Drama in the
Whippleton is D’ FUNNYBONE (D’wildcat), who began his career at Calder before a
private sale as a two-year-old. The chestnut would go on to triumph in the
Hutcheson S. (G2), Swale S. (G2) and Woody Stephens S. (G2) as a sophomore for
trainer Rick Dutrow before adding a second in the Carry Back S. (G2) and an
off-the-board effort in the King’s Bishop S. (G1) to close out his
three-year-old campaign.
However, D’Funnybone has struggled this season with just a second to show for
four starts in stakes, most recently checking in last of eight in the James
Marvin S. at Saratoga on July 22. The four-year-old has since been sent to
trainer Marty Wolfson at Calder and has leading jockey Luis Saez named to ride.
Also in with a chance is BLACK DIAMOND CAT (Wildcat Heir), who brings a
three-race win skein into the Whippleton. The Larry Bates trainee has defeated
others in this field in his past four races, which include scores in the Major
Moran S. and the off-the-turf Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint S. Juan Leyva has the call
aboard the gelded four-year-old.