Big Everest (GB), patiently handled by Joel Rosario, found racing room along the rail in the stretch run and erupted with a powerful turn-of-foot to retain his title in Sunday's $150,000 Artie Schiller, a one-mile inner turf test for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Christophe Clement for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco, and William Branch, the 5-year-old son of The Gurkha (IRE) was a gate-to-wire winner of this event last year under Rosario but was in need of racing room this time around as the field straightened away behind the pacesetting Masen, who drifted briefly into the path of Exact Estimate to provide the opening.
“It looked like the horse on the lead came in and came out on the outside horse and it was a good opportunity to just go to inside and it worked out,” Rosario said.
Masen led the eight-horse field through fractions of :23.22, 47.53, and 1:11.12 through six furlongs over the firm footing with Big Everest saving ground in third to the inside of Exact Estimate and St Anthony poised to the outside in fourth. Irad Ortiz Jr. gave Exact Estimate his cue into the final turn with St Anthony following his outside run as Big Everest rated patiently.
Masen held a precarious lead at the top of the lane, drifting out into the path of Exact Estimate and created the rail opening Rosario required as Big Everest responded to his rider and surged willingly into the daylight. Exact Estimate straightened out and launched one last bid to overtake Masen but could not reel in Big Everest, who scored by three-quarter lengths in a final time of 1:34.45.
It was a another three-quarter lengths back to third-place Masen, who nosed out the late-running Pioneering Spirit. Jerry the Nipper, James Aloysius, Wicked Finn and St Anthony rounded out the order of finish. Bring Me a Check and main-track only entrants Offaly Cool, Sheriff Bianco and Kinetic Sky were scratched.
Big Everest captured the 2022 Artie Schiller ahead of scores this year in the Danger's Hour at the Big A and the Cliff Hanger at Monmouth Park to complete a natural hat trick of stakes wins. He was subsequently fifth in the Kelso (G3) in July at Saratoga Race Course in his graded debut ahead of a fourth-place finish in the Oceanport at Monmouth on August 13.
Big Everest's eighth career win was the first in which he didn't dictate the terms.
“In the paddock, I told Joel, 'If they leave you alone, great. If they take you on, it's OK,' ” Clement said. “He's been on the lead, but it's not like he has to be on the lead. If you look back at the races where he was on the lead, he was never going that fast. But if there's no pace, he's a perfect horse to dictate his own pace. He's a touch strong and Joel gave a great ride.”
Rosario said that Masen's strong push to the lead forced his hand.
“He just decided to go, so I had no choice but to follow him and hopefully he relaxed for me, and he did,” Rosario said. “He's always a little strong, but he relaxed well down the backside. It was a really good run.”
Irad Ortiz said Exact Estimate performed admirably in his stakes debut.
“I had a beautiful trip. Turning for home, I took a couple of jumps to start riding because the inside horse [Masen] came out a little, but nothing bad,” he said. “I had to correct my horse and when I asked him to run, he did respond but the inside horse [Big Everest] cut the corner.”
Bred in Great Britain by Newsells Park Stud, Big Everest was produced by the Whywhywhy mare Long Face, He banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 15-8-1-1 and $539,340 in lifetime purse earnings. He returned $13.80 for a $2 win bet.
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