Big Drink of Water Scores Arlington-Washington Futurity
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Photo: Coady Photography
Big Drink of Water wins the Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington International Racecourse
The 84th running of the $75,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity went to Patricia's Hope's Big Drink of Water, the second straight stakes win for the juvenile son of Soldat .
Trained by Larry Rivelli, the winner went to post with jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. in the irons as the 6-5 betting choice over six other 2-year-olds contesting the seven-furlong event on the all-weather track at Arlington International Racecourse.
The Mike Campbell-trained Hide the Demon was rank early under jockey Mitchell Murrill and pulled his way to the front to set early fractions of :23.11 and :46.47, while Big Drink of Water settled just off the flank of the pacesetter. Knicks Go kept the pressure on the frontrunners from third while he was shadowed by Distant Shore in the early stages. Big Drink of Water overtook the tiring leader and cleared the field to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:25.20. Distant Shore rallied for second, 4 3/4 lengths in front of Knicks Go.
"We bought (Big Drink of Water) specifically for this race," Rivelli said. "A buddy of mine, Jose's agent Steve Leving, picked the horse out for us. (Vince) Foglia agreed to buy him, and we took a shot. We worked him a couple of times in company with some good horses, and he stayed right with them, so we were pretty confident.
"Jose is a good enough rider to realize, if something is going on, to call an audible. He did, and it was good."
Big Drink of Water, who also won the July 14 Victoria Stakes at Woodbine, earned $44,100 in the Arlington-Washington Futurity to elevate his earnings to $114,490. He now has three wins from four starts, and all of his victories have come on synthetic surfaces.
A race later, Donamire Farm's Into Trouble won the 84th edition of the $75,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes, her first start over an all-weather surface for trainer Ben Colebrook.
A 2 3/4-length winner in the Lassie, the Into Mischief filly debuted with a two-length score on the Ellis Park dirt Aug. 11. Undefeated in two starts, the Kentucky-bred filly, out of the Benchmark mare Smooth Performer, now has $68,850 in earnings.
"She did handle the surface, but you just never know when they haven't raced over it before," Colebrook said. "She's very classy and just a really, really nice filly, so we'll enjoy this one and find something for her down the road."
Video: Arlington-Washington Futurity (BT)