Golden State Series: Fleet Treat Stakes

BY TRACY GANTZ

Well before California sire Mr. Big took up residence at the Cohen family’s Rancho Temescal in Piru, Tim Cohen and trainer Mark Glatt liked the looks of one of his daughters. Tey purchased Big Sweep for $40,000 at the 2018 Barretts October yearling sale, and she has already earned $212,250 and won two stakes, including the $117,500 Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar July 24.

“She had a great body, and she looked like the sale didn’t bother her any,” said Cohen in recalling why he purchased Big Sweep. “She’s not huge. She’s just really well built. She’s a proper-looking, strong flly.”

George Krikorian bred Big Sweep from the City Zip mare Misszippityslewda. Te mare, who is from the family of Eclipse Award champion sprinter Groovy, won races in Louisiana, New York, and New Jersey, earning $186,955. Krikorian paid $22,000 for her as a 6-year-old at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale.

Big Sweep broke her maiden in her racing debut at Santa Anita this past March. Two months later she beat males in the $151,500 Echo Eddie Stakes at six furlongs. She stretched out to 1 1 ⁄16 miles for the $150,500 Melair Stakes at Santa Anita June 21 and fnished third behind Warren’s Showtime and Smiling Shirlee.

“Te frst time she went two turns it was a small feld, but there was a lot of stuf going on and I just think she got a little confused,” said Cohen.

Te owner doesn’t believe distance will be a problem for the 3-year-old flly, and both Glatt and jockey Flavien Prat are eager to try her on the turf.

Te Fleet Treat at frst looked like a rematch for Big Sweep, Warren’s Showtime, and Smiling Shirlee, all stakes winners. But Warren’s Showtime scratched in favor of the next day’s San Clemente Stakes (G2T), where she fnished third. Tat left a feld of four for the seven-furlong Fleet Treat, with Big Sweep sent away the 13-10 favorite.

Prat has ridden Big Sweep in each of her four starts.

“She broke well and traveled well all the way around,” Prat said. “She was relaxed in the early part; then, at the half-mile she began to pick it up.”

© BENOIT PHOTO

Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal’s Big Sweep gives her rivals a dusting in Del Mar’s Fleet Treat Stakes for Cal-breds

Loud Loud Music, the longest shot in the feld, set the early pace, posting fractions of :22.83 and :46.63. Big Sweep tracked her easily in second from the outside, drew even with her on the turn, and moved into the lead in the upper stretch.

“I hit her with the whip one time, but that was it,” said Prat. “She gave me a good kick.”

Indeed, Big Sweep dominated the stretch run, ultimately defeating Been Studying Her, a two-time stakes winner at 2 last year, by 2 1 ⁄4 lengths in 1:24.44. Evening Jewel Stakes winner Smiling Shirlee fnished third, with Loud Loud Music fading to fourth.

“Te cutback in distance certainly helped today,” said Glatt. “But this flly will go long. She’ll get a distance. We’re pretty anxious to get her on the grass. Flavien thinks the dirt seems to get away from her a little bit, and with a little more sure footing on the turf, she might be even better.”

Big Sweep’s versatility extends to her running style.

“She’s run a little diferent every time,” said Cohen. “I think she enjoys the Del Mar dirt better than Santa Anita.”

Te 3-year-old flly has only run against her own age group in stakes so far, though she broke her maiden against her elders. Next she could face older distafers in a Cal-bred stakes or tackle the turf.