Air Combat Bids for 5 in a Row in Saturday’s Big Drama

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – David Bernsen LLC and Leon King Stable Corp.’s Air Combat is set to make his stakes/handicap debut in his 28th career start in Saturday’s $75,000 Big Drama Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

The 6-year-old son of Blame has earned the opportunity to be entered in the seven-furlong handicap by winning his last four races. He will make a bid to win five-races in a row while making his first start for trainer Jose D’Angelo, who claimed him for $62,500 out of a March 27 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream.

“He’s a classy horse. He was the kind of horse I was looking for,” D’Angelo said. “That’s why I put him in the stake.”

Air Combat’s winning streak began with a 3 ¾-length score on Woodbine’s all-weather surface last December, when he was claimed for $25,000 by trainer Marty Drexler, for whom he won his next three races on Gulfstream’s main track while rising in company.

Air Combat prepared for the Big Drama with a ‘bullet’ workout at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

Emisael Jaramillo has the call on the D’Angelo trainee, who is rated second on the morning line at 5-2 and will carry two pounds less than Michael Ryan’s Dilger, the 9-5 favorite who has been assigned 123 pounds.

Dilger, who is coming off a runner-up finish in the April 6 Carter (G2) at Aqueduct, is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., who will also be represented by Bassett Stables, Madaket Stables LLC and Wonder Stables’ Of a Revolution, who will seek his first victory since winning an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream last August.

Edgard Zayas has the call on Dilger, while Rocco Bowen is named on Of a Revolution.

Trainer David Fawkes, who campaigned Big Drama during his sensational career, will also be represented by a pair of entries in Saturday’s feature – Chester Bishop and partners’ Shaq Diesel, who finished third in last year’s running, and Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s Pure Class, who is coming off a $50,000 claiming win.

Miguel Vasquez has the call on Shaq Diesel, who is rated third at 7-2 on the morning line, while Edwin Gonzalez has the return mount aboard Pure Class.

Big Drama, a Florida-bred son of Montbrook, won 11 of 19 races, including a front-running 1 ½-length victory in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs. The $2.7 million earner was honored with the 2010 Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding sprinter.

Big Drama followed up his Breeders’ Cup triumph with a sizzling performance at Gulfstream Park while setting a six-furlong track record (1:08.12) with a four-length victory in the 2011 Mr. Prospector (G3).

Winning Stable Inc. and Todd Bittinger’s Life Is Precious and Paola Stables’ Con Compania round out the field.