Big Data Continues Comeback in Saturday’s Duke of Mischief

Strategic Reserve Stretches Out to Mile in $75,000 Aventura
Joe Bravo Back in Action Friday at Gulfstream
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Sequence Headlined by Princess Rooney

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – His return race behind him, Petal Power Racing Stable’s stakes winner Big Data is set to continue his comeback from nearly two years away in Saturday’s $70,000 Duke of Mischief overnight handicap Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The Duke of Mischief for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile on the main track is among five stakes worth $495,000 in purses on an 11-race program headlined by the $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3), a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

Also on the card is the $75,000 Aventura for 2-year-olds, also on the main track, and a pair of stakes scheduled for the grass – the $75,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint and $75,000 Ginger Punch Handicap. Post time is 12:50 p.m.

Big Data made his long-awaited return at the course and distance May 17, finishing seventh of eight in an optional claiming spot while not in for a tag. He has had three breezes since at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“He tripped over himself in his first start back,” trainer Michael Lerman said. “It’s taken him a couple of months to right the ship again, but he’s ready to continue his career.”

A gelded bay son of Preakness (G1) winner Cloud Computing, Big Data’s career was still on the upswing when he was hurt in the fall of 2023 after finishing first or second in eight of his first nine starts including a maiden victory over elders at Gulfstream and three-quarter-length triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

Three weeks later Big Data was beaten a neck when second in the 1 3/16-mile Bourbon Trail at Churchill Downs, where he was being pointed to the Clark (G2) over Thanksgiving weekend. Minor incidents continued to delay his comeback to the point where he went 603 days between races.

“He was in super form, and then he was injured training for the Clark in November of his 3-year-old year. He was actually in last August for a return race and he injured himself in his stall overnight. Apparently there was a loose horse running by early in the morning and he was busy jumping around because he was cranked up and ready to run, and that got him another couple of months off,” Lerman said. “That delayed his return until the spring and then he ended up kind of banging himself up again. The good horses will do this to themselves. He’s back and he’s healthy and this is another step back.”

Lerman has been pleased with the way Big Data has responded to regular training and encouraged by his attitude, on and off the track.

“He’s been training steadily and he’s healthy and doing great. He certainly still wants to race. I think there’s still more to him,” he said. “Unfortunately, his career has gotten sidetracked a bit, but he’s a gelding now, too, which helps keep him fit and keeps the excess weight off of him. That’s going to keep him happy and competitive. He was a distracted kind of colt. It would have been a lot harder bringing him back as a 1,300-pound older horse.”

Overall, Big Data has three wins, five seconds and $277,630 from 10 career starts. The Duke of Mischief will be his third try against stakes company.

“He’s had basically two off-the-board finishes in his life. As a maiden he had an excuse,” Lerman said. “Then in his return race he sort of tripped over himself, but he always tries. He’s a very genuine horse.”

With regular rider Emisael Jaramillo named aboard stakes winner Pure Class, Big Data will be ridden Saturday by Joe Bravo, himself on the comeback trail after breaking his right pinky finger in mid-June.

“Joe and the owner are actually very good friends from New Jersey for decades, since we were kids basically,” Lerman said, “so she’s perfectly fine with him riding the horse.”

Later Saturday, Lerman hopes to saddle multiple stakes-winning 9-year-old Xy Speed in the Umphrey Turf Sprint, provided the five-furlong dash remains on the grass.

“I like developing older horses. I like them sticking around for a long time. If you take care of them and keep them healthy, they’re going to be around for a while, especially if they’re not Grade 1-winning stallion prospects being rushed off to stud,” Lerman said. “It’s the same old story, if you don’t abuse them and do the right things by them they’re going to last.”

Also entered in the Duke of Mischief are multiple stakes winner Lure Him In, Fiveeyesonskystars, Steppe, stakes-placed Awesome Train and Roar of the Beast.

Strategic Reserve Stretching Out to Mile in $75,000 Aventura

Their horse already having shown his affinity for an off track, the connections of Strategic Reserve are hoping to see something new when the pricey juvenile standout returns for his stakes debut in Saturday’s $75,000 Aventura at Gulfstream.

Like each of his six rivals, C2 Racing Stable, JRM Stable, Mathis Stables and Ken Reimer’s Strategic Reserve will be facing winners for the first time in the Aventura for 2-year-olds going a one-turn mile on the main track.

In his debut, the $435,000 yearling by Munnings sailed to a six-length maiden special weight triumph Aug. 23 sprinting six furlongs over a sealed sloppy track at Gulfstream. Edgard Zayas, up in that race, gets the return call for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

“We didn’t get the best of trips last time on a muddy track. I’d like to see a fast track this time to see what we have on a fast track versus the muddy track,” C2’s Clint Cornett said. “Since we got him, he’s shown all the signs of potentially being a good horse. We’re excited to see him run. We’re stretching him out to a mile here. This will tell us a lot from a distance perspective.”

Strategic Reserve broke a step slow in his unveiling but found himself a half-length in front through a quarter-mile that went in 21.65 seconds. He extended his advantage to 3 ½ lengths entering the stretch and pulled clear through the lane to win in 1:11.99.

“Saffie has indicated he’s training well [and] he’s fit,” Cornett said. “He got a lot of experience that first time. He was behind horses, they had to make a move on him, and he ended up finishing strong. I’d like to see a clean trip and let’s see what we have.”

For his win Strategic Reserve earned a modest 60 Beyer Speed Figure, a number surpassed by four of his rivals led by Road Forever, who got an 80 for his 15-length debut victory Aug. 16 at Gulfstream.

“We want to see a progression, a gradual improvement. If we can get a mid-80 here, that’s fine. Just continue to move forward. I mean, he’s had one start,” Cornett said. “Certainly it’s a competitive race. It looks like it’s shaping up to be, for sure.”

C2 also partners with Double B Racing Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch and Mach 1 Stables in 8-year-old gelding Lure Him In, who will be making his 55th career start in the $70,000 Duke of Mischief overnight handicap. After summering in Southern California with trainer Sam Wilensky, he returns to Gulfstream where he has a record of 6-1-1 from 13 races, most recently taking the 1 1/16-mile Wildcat Red overnight handicap June 8.

“He’s great. He went out to Del Mar and ran a few times out there,” Cornett said. “He’s back at Gulfstream, his home track, and we’re excited to see him run. He competes every time he’s in a race.”

Joe Bravo Back in Action Friday at Gulfstream Park

Veteran jockey Joe Bravo returned to action Friday at Gulfstream Park for the first time since sustaining a hand injury sustained in a post-race mishap June 13.

Bravo finished second aboard Rashid in Race 7, a mile-and-70-yard $35,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up on Tapeta, following a rough start.

“It made it kind of exciting. You could see my horse grabbed his quarter out of the gate. I said, ‘Oh, s##t! This is the first one back and I gotta do this?” Bravo said. “But he ran good. I thought he was going to make it a race turning for home. He fought.”

Bravo admitted he missed riding ‘every day’ while was sidelined.

“My favorite channels were FanDuel and Fox Sports Broadcast,” he said.

Bravo has a pair of stakes mounts on Saturday’s Gulfstream program – Fausto Gutierrez-trained Show Off in the $75,000 Ginger Punch in Race 11 and Michael Lerman-trained Big Data in the $70,000 Duke of Mischief in Race 6.

‘Jersey Joe’ has ridden the winners of 5719 races and $204 million in purses during a career that began in 1988.

Note: Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher notched a victory in Friday’s Race 1 with Noticeable ($8.60), his first starter of the Sunshine Meet. Edgard Zayas was aboard Mike Repole’s 3-year-old daughter of Curlin in the mile maiden special weight opener.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Sequence Headlined by Princess Rooney

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 sequence (Races 6-11) will be headlined by the $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3) Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The Princess Rooney, a seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares that offers the winner a fees-paid berth into the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar, will be renewed as Race 10. Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is scheduled to send out three starters, Haulin Ice, Claret Beret and Ultimate Authority in a bid to score back-to-back Rooney wins. Last year, Joseph-trained Soul of an Angel was victorious before going on to win the Filly & Mare Sprint. Jose D’Angelo-trained Vincey Girl, who prevailed over Haulin Ice in the Sheer Drama after finishing second to the Joseph trainee in the Musical Romance, is viewed as a serious threat to the Joseph Trio.

The $75,000 Ginger Punch, a mile turf stakes for fillies and mares, will close out the Rainbow 6 sequence in Race 11. Steve Dwoskin-trained Starship Impulsive will seek her fourth straight stakes win in a field of 10.

The Rainbow 6 went unsolved Friday for the first racing day following last Sunday’s mandatory payout.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. On mandatory payout days, the entire pool is disbursed to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the popular wager’s six-race sequence.