Agave Racing Stable, Living The Dream Stables, LLC and Rockin Robin Racing Stables' Miss Bigly (9-2) split rivals in the stretch and stole away to win the Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths on Saturday at Oaklawn Park. The 6-year-old daughter of Gemologist earned her first graded stakes win under jockey Ramon Vazquez for trainer Phil D'Amato, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.82 over the fast main track.
“I just thought she got a very patient ride by Ramon Vazquez,” said D'Amato. “I like he was just saving ground there, just waiting for an opportunity. You could tell she was loaded and he got the perfect split in between those two horses at the top of the lane and once she kind of inched in between there, I thought she would have a good chance, and sure enough, enough to hold on. Those were all quality fillies we were running against. I think anyone could win on any given day. My filly, I think she had been making that early move in her last couple, just by circumstance, and today she was able to just relax a little more, wait and conserve with her little late burst, and I think that made the difference.”
Miss Bigly raced patiently in fourth as the Brad Cox-trained pair of Matera and 9-5 favorite Coach raced side by side through early factions of :23 1/5 and :47 4/5 for the first half mile. The winner split rivals midstretch and drew off to win by 1 ¼ lengths over She's All Wolfe, the longest shot in the field at 36-1. Jilted Bride was a head behind in third. The winning time was 1:44 4/5 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track.
Coach faded to fourth and was followed by Queen Goddess and Matera. Mariah's Princess was scratched.
Bred in Kentucky by SF Bloodstock, Miss Bigly is out of the Citidancer mare Miss Puzzle, making her a half-sister to two-time Grade 1 winner Fashion Plate. Sold for $120,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November sale in 2016, Miss Bigly returned to the sales ring to bring $20,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale.
She began her career for trainer Keith Desormeaux, breaking her maiden in her eighth career start. She was claimed for $30,000 in January of 2020, winning her next start for Eddie Kenneally and racing once for Michelle Lovell before being shipped out to D'Amato in Southern California. The mare has not been worse than third since Mar. 21, 2021, and earned her first stakes win at Del Mar in August.
Knocking on the door in graded company ever since, Miss Bigly finally broke through in the Bayakoa to improve her overall record to 8-4-8 from 26 starts for earnings of $641,242.
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