Golden State Series: Echo Eddie Stakes

BY TRACY GANTZ

With the Evening Jewel Stakes for f llies on the same May 15 card at Santa Anita as the Echo Eddie Stakes, Big Sweep could have joined her own sex instead of taking on males.

“We looked at both races, and we just thought the boys’ race came up a little lighter,” said Tim Cohen, whose family owns Big Sweep. “T e f lly race had four or f ve f llies that looked pretty tough. It just worked out the right way.”

T e Echo Eddie and the Evening Jewel are for 3-year-old California-bred or California-sired runners. Both of ered a $150,000 purse over six furlongs. Cohen and trainer Mark Glatt opted to try Big Sweep against the boys, and it proved a wise choice.

In just her second lifetime start, Big Sweep went of as the 11-10 favorite in the f eld of eight, with jockey Flavien Prat aboard. Phantom Boss, winner of the 2019 Bashford Manor Stakes (G3), was the sec

The Cohen family’s Big Sweep earns a hard-fought head victory over Rookie Mistake in Santa Anita’s Echo Eddie Stakes

ond choice, with two-time Golden Gate Fields stakes winner Bettor Trip Nick the third choice.

Sixth early, Big Sweep charged up three wide in the stretch. Rookie Mistake had also come from of the pace and by then had grabbed the lead. T ose two battled in deep stretch, with Big Sweep edging the son of Square Eddie by a head in 1:10.23. Club Aspen, winner of the 2019 King Glorious Stakes, f nished third.

“She settled nicely behind the speed, and she handled the kickback like a pro,” said Prat. “She’s got a lot of heart.”

Big Sweep, as did all other runners on the card, competed without a crowd in attendance. Santa Anita had re-opened the previous day amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with strict safety protocols in place. Big Sweep has yet to compete in front of a crowd because she made her racing debut March 14, the f rst weekend Santa Anita raced without fans.

With Prat on board in that six-furlong maiden race for Cal-bred or Calsired distaf ers, Big Sweep went of as the even-money favorite as a f rst-time starter. She was facing her elders, and she dominated her f ve rivals, sweeping under the wire a 2 1 ∕4-length winner.

“Mark has always liked her and thought she was quality,” said Cohen. “He was pretty conf dent going into her maiden race.”

Big Sweep prefers to race of the pace, said Cohen, despite the fact that she set the pace in her f rst race.

“She drew the one hole, and so we kind of had to use her,” said Cohen. “T at’s not really her style, but she got away with it. So stalking wasn’t really a big surprise here (in the Echo Eddie).”

George Krikorian bred Big Sweep, a daughter of the breeder’s stallion Mr. Big, who now stands at the Cohens’ Rancho Temescal in Piru. Big Sweep is out of the City Zip mare Misszippityslewda. T e mare earned $186,955 on the track, and Krikorian bought her as a 6-year-old for $22,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale.

T e Cohen family purchased Big Sweep in the name of their Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal for $40,000 at the 2018 Barretts October yearling sale. John Harris’ Harris Farms consigned the f lly to the sale for Krikorian.

“She’s never done anything wrong,” said Cohen. “She’s a big, beautiful f lly.”

Tuesday at noon on August 11, 2020 at Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA. Go to WWW.CTBA.COM to download the entry form.

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