Red Oak Stable's Make It Big overcame a slow start and traffic to capture Saturday's $60,000 Ocala Stud Juvenile Sprint, capping a four-win day for both trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey Edgard Zayas at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
In addition, Make It Big, the 4-5 favorite in the seven-furlong sprint for Florida-bred 2-year-olds, was Joseph's 12th winner from his last 21 starters, including two winners at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and one at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.
“Racing is a streaky game. We had a slow Saratoga. It was our first year in New York and we won two Grade 1s, two Grade 3s, and then you go through a slow Saratoga and people like to forget. It's amazing how people can throw you away so quick, and then want you when you get hot,” said Joseph, who also won Saturday's Hudson Handicap at Belmont with Ny Traffic. “You just try to stay steady and try to overcome. You're always going to hit hot spells and you're always going to hit slow spells. My job is to keep the team together, so that when we're down, we keep our heads together. It's always going to level out at the end of the year. You're never going to win a 40 or 30 percent consistently. You're always going to level out and be at 21, 22 [percent]. It's going to go through spells, and you just try and get through them.”
Prior to scoring with Make It Big, Joseph and Zayas teamed for victories with Sister Lou Ann ($4) in Race 3, Jeha ($9.80) in Race 4, and Fate of Ophelia ($17.40) in Race 7.
“Edgard rides a lot for us, and he rides a good race,” Joseph said. “He's a big part of the team.”
Make It Big, who was coming off an 8 ½-length front-running debut victory at Gulfstream three weeks ago, broke a step slowly from his rail post position before assuming a stalking position along the rail behind pacesetter Just Leo, a full brother to multiple graded-stakes winner Firenze Fire, along the backstretch and into the far turn. Just Leo, who set early fractions of :23.08 and :46.31, tired on the turn into the homestretch as Lightening Larry made a three-wide sweep to the lead entering the stretch with Make It Big still trapped behind horses.
Lightening Larry kicked in through the stretch under Romero Maragh but was unable to hold off Make It Big, who launched an outside rally after Zayas finally found running room at the top of the stretch.
“Last time, he broke on the lead, and I didn't expect him to be on the lead. Today was much different,” Joseph said. “He broke; he was behind; he had a tough trip; and he was able to overcome it. I think he's a horse that's going to progress. As the distances get longer, I think he's going to get better.”
Make It Big, a son of Neolithic, ran seven furlongs in 1:25. Lightening Larry held second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Clapton.
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