Gulfstream: Super Derby Winner Big Data Set for 2024 Debut in Saturday’s Benny the Bull

By David Joseph —-

Super Derby Winner Big Data Set for 2024 Debut in Saturday’s Benny the Bull

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Petal Power Racing Stable’s Big Data faces a big challenge in his 2024 debut Saturday when the 4-year-old son of Cloud Computing takes on Comedy Town in the $100,000 Benny the Bull at Gulfstream Park.

Nevertheless, the Michael Lerman trainee appears to be the main danger to the 6-5 morning-line favorite, judging from his late-season form last year. The Kentucky-bred colt ventured to Louisiana Downs in September to win the $200,000 Super Derby and closed out his 3-year-old campaign three weeks later at Churchill Downs in the $300,000 Bourbon Trail, in which he was caught at the wire.

He stalked the early pace before rallying for a half-length decision while stretching out around two turns in the 1 1/16-mile Super Derby.

“He was steadily going in the right direction. It seemed like the logical next step. I was looking to stretch him out, and that was the best available option,” Lerman said. “Off to Louisiana we went, and it worked out.”

In the 1 1/16-mile Bourbon Trail, jockey Emisael Jaramillo pretty much used the same tactics only to lose by a neck to Slip Mahoney.

“He got beat by a pretty nice horse. Maybe he moved a bit premature. That’s a long stretch,” Lerman said. “He’s got his quirks. He got to looking around in his first race under the lights. When he made the lead, he kind of lost his focus and the other horse came and caught him”

Big Data ran seven times at Gulfstream prior to heading out of town, winning twice and finishing second four times.

“He’s a bigger strong version of last year’s Big Data. I think he’ll show that, maybe not Saturday but as he progresses in distance,” said Lerman, whose trainee has run against graded-stakes winners Kingsbarns and Il Miracolo, among others.

The seven-furlong distance of the Benny the Bull may be an advantage for Comedy Town, who is undefeated in two starts on dirt after running on turf or Tapeta in his first 24 races. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained son of Speightstown most recently captured the six-furlong Smile Sprint at Gulfstream.

The Benny the Bull in Race 10 will be featured in Saturday’s Rainbow 6 sequence that will span Races 6-11.

The 10-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $100,000 Saturday. The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Friday for the second racing day following last Saturday’s mandatory payout.

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