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Harold Queen’s Big Drama, champion sprinter of 2010, will return to the races Sept. 4 at Calder Casino & Race Course with an eye toward this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) at Churchill Downs Nov. 5.
Big Drama, trained by David Fawkes, last raced Jan. 15 at Gulfstream Park in the Mr. Prospector Stakes (gr. III), which he won by four lengths in track-record time of 1:08.12 for six furlongs. Fawkes at the time was noncommittal about Big Drama’s next start, and said the horse would get some time off during 2011.
Big Drama, a 5-year-old Montbrook horse bred by Queen, is one of six entered in the $75,000 Whippleton Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs. Daniel Centeno is named to ride in the absence of Eibar Coa, who is recovering from serious injuries suffered in a racing accident at Gulfstream earlier this year.
Big Drama, with Coa riding, won last year’s Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint en route to his Eclipse Award. He was raced sparingly at Calder before tackling the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill in 2010.
Paul Pompa Jr.’s D' Funnybone is entered in the Whippleton. He finished eighth in the James Marvin Stakes at Saratoga in his previous start, then was sent to trainer Marty Wolfson at Calder.
Others in the Whippleton, which goes as the ninth race at 4:09 p.m. EDT, are Bluestone Thoroughbreds’ Black Diamond Cat, Stride Rite Racing Stable’s Peace at Dawn, Prichard Racing Stable’s How's Your Halo, Juan Arias’ Double Judge, and Ron Hendrickson’s Accredit.
