Bigger Picture Scores Third Straight John B. Connally
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Photo: Coady Photography
Bigger Picture wins the John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park
Announcing the start to his 2019 campaign in the $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (G3T), Bigger Picture schooled a field of eight other older horses and won the race for a third consecutive year, this time by a decisive 3 1/2-length margin Jan. 27 at Sam Houston Race Park.
The 8-year-old Badge of Silver gelding, owned by Three Diamonds Farm, gave trainer Mike Maker his seventh win in the John B. Connally, including the past six in a row. Maker also saddled Da Big Hoss (2016), Coalport (2015), Admiral Kitten (2014), and Papaw Bodie (2012) to the winner's circle in the 1 1/2-mile turf contest.
Out of the gate, Lawless West and 9-year-old Cooptado went head-to-head in what seemed like a suicide pace for the distance ahead, getting the first quarter-mile in :24.04. But as the leader hit the half-mile mark in :51.10, it was clear they had slowed and settled in to a more sensible rhythm.
Second to last in the early going, jockey Jose Ortiz—who also rode Bigger Picture to victory in the race in 2017 and 2018—moved the gelding to sixth as a mile went in 1:16.83. By the time 1 1/4 miles went in 1:43.79, the pair was in third. Coming off the turn and into the stretch, Some in Tieme had the lead, but it was clear Bigger Picture had the momentum as he pulled ahead by one length and continued to open up to the wire.
Some in Tieme faded to finish third, with Zapperini two lengths ahead for second. Off at odds of 3-5, heavily favored Bigger Picture returned $3.40, $2.60, and $2.10.
Team Colors stumbled on the second turn and was pulled up by jockey Adam Beschizza. The 7-year-old horse was attended to on the track and vanned off.
Bigger Picture brought his earnings to $1,494,135 and his record to 12-7-5 from 38 starts. He was bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who raced him with Maker into his sophomore season. He then transferred ownership three times before ending up with his current connections and back in the care of Maker after his 2015 season.
In 2017, Bigger Picture picked up his lone top-level win in the United Nations Stakes (G1T) at Monmouth Park, where he got a head in front of Can'thelpbelieving in the 1 3/8-mile turf test. Last year, he placed third in the race and ended the year with a runner-up finish in the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar.