Win or lose, Bim Bam always seems to empty the gas tank in his races, and that has resulted in some thrilling finishes lately. The Florida-bred colt lost by a neck to Nordic Truce in the $100,000 Dania Beach Stakes in January, then rebounded last month to win the $125,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes by a nose over Interactif.
Bim Bam, a homebred for Jim and Sheila DiMare, who own Rising Hill Farm in Ocala, appears ready for another strong effort in today’s $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes (G3). The turf race will be the colt’s graded stakes debut and covers 1 1/8 miles, half a furlong farther than he’s ever run before, but trainer David Brownlee said the added distance shouldn’t bother him.
“It’s only a mile and an eighth, and I don’t think he’ll have any trouble with it,” Brownlee said. “He’s so rateable. In his last race, he got an easy lead and slowed it down, and when he was asked, he was full of run. He will fight to the finish. Even galloping in the morning, he’s a powerhouse. He’s very competitive and has a ton of class. I wish I had a barn full of horses like him.”
It’s easy to understand why Brownlee is so fond of Bim Bam. The son of Deputy Wild Cat has yet to run a bad race, finishing in the money in all nine of his starts and earning $296,295. He finished third behind Florida-bred Triple Crown hopeful Jackson Bend in all three legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder as a juvenile last year and became a stakes winner in the $75,000 Foolish Pleasure.
Bim Bam concluded his 2009 campaign by making his turf debut against fellow Florida-breds in the $100,000 Arthur Appleton Juvenile Turf at Calder, and he won by a length. His connections have opted to keep him on turf since then, but they said he might return to dirt later in the year. The horse has four victories to his credit.
“I feel that he’s versatile enough that he could go back to dirt,” Jim DiMare said, “but we’re probably going to stick with the turf for right now.”
Brownlee said that although Bim Bam has responded to the switch to turf, the most important factor in his horse’s improvement has been his maturation. Bim Bam was given a two-month freshening after the Appleton Juvenile and began to fill out.
“I just think he needed time to mature,” Brownlee said. “He needed to grow up. He’s not a big, big horse, but he’s built so efficiently. He’s just put together to be an athlete. He’s so consistent, and he tries hard. I think he’d be a lot better horse on the dirt now also.”
Bim Bam will have usual rider Eibar Coa aboard when he breaks from the No. 6 post in the Palm Beach. He’s the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a field of nine 3-year-olds.
The 4-1 second choice, Asphalt, also is a Florida-bred and is no stranger to Bim Bam, having finished third in the Hallandale Beach last out. Asphalt, a son of War Chant, was bred in Ocala by Peter Vegso and is owned by Joseph Riccelli. He was a $100,000 purchase at Keeneland’s sale of yearlings in September 2008.
Asphalt began his sophomore season with a win in a $48,000 allowance on the Gulfstream lawn in January. He’s won two of his six starts and earned $82,047 for trainer Eddie Kenneally. Asphalt will have Rajiv Maragh aboard for the second straight race when he breaks from the No. 4 post.
Rounding out the field are Paddy O’Prado (15-1), Dean’s Kitten (5-1), Our Champion (15-1), Lethal Combination (8-1), Center Divider (6-1), Mutiny (6-1) and Cat Park (8-1).
Dean’s Kitten, Our Champion and Cat Park finished fourth through sixth in the Hallandale Beach. Center Divider and Mutiny recently broke their maidens on turf in their second career starts.
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