Big Drink of Water Speeds to Victoria Victory
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Photo: Michael Burns
Big Drink of Water wins the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine
Endeavor Bloodstock's 2-year-old gelding Big Drink of Water scored his first stakes victory in the $100,000 Victoria July 14 at Woodbine.
After a break from the inside in the five-horse field, the Teresa Connelly-trained Big Drink of Water set fractions of :22.51 and :45.66 en route to a 2 3/4-length victory in 1:03.74 for 5 1/2 furlongs. Armistice Day, the heavy 2-5 favorite, came on between horses from the back of the pack to finish second, ahead of first-time starter Crawl From the Bar.
Jockey Pablo Morales was along for the ride and picked up a Woodbine stakes victory for the second consecutive Saturday. He won the My Dear Stakes a week ago with the John Bourke-trained 2-year-old filly Stifling.
"He's just a super-talented horse. Every time I've been on him, I'm surprised how easily he does things and how comfortable he is. He's like an old horse," Morales said. "I had an idea before we got in the gate that I was going to find myself on the lead. He was just really ready, really sharp. We've been racing him, and I know he's super fit. I was not going to take the race away from him the way he broke. The fractions showed like he was going a little fast, but I swear it felt like I was floating.
"I honestly had a lot of confidence in this horse. I really, really liked him since day one, and he just keeps proving me right."
Big Drink of Water is the first stakes winner for his sire, Soldat , a multiple graded stakes winner who stood the 2018 season for an advertised fee of $5,000 at Woodford Thoroughbreds in Florida. The bay gelding boasts two consecutive wins and one second-place finish over three racetracks. He was a runner-up in his May 4 debut at Gulfstream Park and entered the Victoria off a maiden-breaking victory May 23 at Presque Isle Downs—both 4 1/2-furlong sprints.
"He's been a phenomenal baby to train—just the easiest horse you ever wanted to have in your stable," said Connelly, who celebrated her first Woodbine win. "Pablo loves him as much as I do, so I was just ecstatic that he would come ride him, and I didn't even expect to be on the lead. I thought a horse named Wallace (formerly trained by Connelly) would be there, so it's all Pablo. I let him call the shots."
Video: Victoria S. (BT)