Bridget's Big Luvy Takes Private Terms
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Tom O'Grady's Bridget's Big Luvy went right to the front and never looked back in the $100,000 Private Terms Stakes March 21 at Laurel Park .
Equipped with blinkers for the first time in his career, Bridget's Big Luvy broke sharply under jockey Angel Cruz to notch his first career stakes win in his first start going two turns.
Racing over a track that was labeled muddy and sealed, the 3-year-old quickly opened up a four-length lead on the pack, breaking from the outside post in the six-horse field. The bay colt ran the first half-mile in :48.14, with second-choice Bodhisattva chasing in second, while the 6-5 favorite Net Gain was farther back in fifth.
On the turn for home, the competition got closer to Bridget's Big Luvy, cutting his lead to two lengths, but he found another gear in the stretch, easily holding off his opponents to post a 2 1/2-length score, running the 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.92.
"In the first part, I was going easy with the horse, and when I let him go, he kicked on him," Cruz said. "It looked easy for him. He finished strong. He had so much horse left, we could have gone around again and he would have finished first."
Bodhisattva lasted to be second, while Net Gain held for a distant third after making a mild bid for the lead turning for home. The order of finish was completed by Slick William, Combat Diver, and Now We Are Free.
A 3-year-old son of Tiz Wonderful, out of Dixie Union mare Memories of Mystic, Bridget's Big Luvy hadn't started since finishing fifth in the Hutcheson Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 24, but was working steadily for his return to the races for trainer Jeremiah Englehart.
He made his debut Aug. 23, when he finished fourth in a maiden special weight race at Saratoga Race Course, before finishing fifth in a maiden race at Belmont Park Sept. 20. He broke his maiden Oct. 24 over a muddy, sealed strip at Belmont.
Bridget's Big Luvy, who was bred in Maryland by Dark Hollow Farm, has now won two of five career starts with earnings of $125,605.
O'Grady purchased Bridget's Big Luvy at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale for $175,000.
Bridget's Big Luvy returned $15.20, $4.80, and $3.60 across the board. Bodhisattva paid $3.80 and $2.40, while Net Gain returned $2.10 to show.