Big Everest after his narrow in the Danger’s Hour (Susie Raisher)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and William Branch’s multiple stakes-winner Big Everest earned a career-high 98 Beyer Speed Figure for his narrow nose victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Danger’s Hour traveling one-mile over the Aqueduct Racetrack inner turf.
Trained by Christophe Clement and ridden to victory by Manny Franco, the 5-year-old son of The Gurkha was challenged early for the lead by the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Eleven Central into the first turn, but established a one-length advantage entering the backstretch. Big Everest led the field of three at each point of call and was challenged late in the stretch by Anaconda, who angled out from the inside to make a strong run for the lead at the sixteenth pole but could not reel in a game Big Everest.
Christophe Lorieul, Clement’s Belmont Park-based assistant, said Big Everest, who made his first start off a five-month respite, came out of the race in good order and should gain fitness from the effort.
“The horse came back good,” said Lorieul. “We weren’t sure if he would be a little short [in fitness] coming into the race, but I told Manny he didn’t have to have the lead and to just see what Kendrick would do. He ran well.”
Big Invasion doubled up on stakes scores in the Danger’s Hour on the heels of a half-length victory in the one-mile Artie Schiller on November 13 here. The talented gelding has won five of his last six starts and boasts a career record of 11-6-1-1 with total purse earnings of $384,840. He was bred in Great Britain by Newsells Park Stud.
