BY BROCK SHERIDAN

AUGUST 16, 2008—Harold L. Queen’s homebred Big Drama races on the lead with Red Nation to his inside on the turn before pulling away in the stretch to win the $100,000 Dr. Fager, the six-furlong first leg of the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder Race Course.

Although Big Drama had just broke his maiden by more than seven lengths two weeks earlier at Calder in his second start, he was let go at odds of better than 8-1 in the Desert Vixen. You Luckie Mann, a son of Exchange Rate and a future graded stakes-placed earner of $332,418, was made the odds-on choice in the Dr. Fager after winning his previous race by 14 ½ lengths at Calder on July 26.

 

Under jockey Paco Lopez, Big Drama could not get the early jump on 5-1 choice Red Nation, who was a half-length in front through a quarter-mile split in :22.19 with longshot Sabi Sabi behind them in third.

Big Drama asserted himself coming out of the turn as Red Nation dropped back and This Ones for Phil and You Luckie Mann moved into a fight for second on the outside. But Big Drama stretched his advantage approaching the wire, winning by three lengths ahead of late running Bee Cee Cee in second on the rail with You Luckie Mann third.

 

Trained by David Fawkes, Big Drama paid $19.40 to win after finishing six furlongs in 1:11.70.

Big Drama then won the seven-furlong Affirmed by three-and-a-half lengths on Sept. 6 before completing the Florida Stallion Stakes sweep with a five-length trouncing of the mile-and-a-sixteenth In Reality on Oct. 18. He finished his 2-year-old campaign with a length victory in the Grade 3 Boyd Gaming Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs on Dec. 5, finishing his juvenile year with five wins in six starts and third (in his first start) with earnings of $860,250.

 

Big Drama was the fifth colt or gelding to take all three legs of Florida Stallion Stakes, behind Smile in 1984, Naked Greed (1991), Seacliff (1995), Express Tour (2000) and Sir Oscar (2003). Six colts or gelding have swept the Dr. Fager, Affirmed and In Reality since including Jackson Bend (2009), Fort Loudon (2011), Three Rules (2016), Awesome Strong (2022) and Rated by Merit (2024).

Surprisingly, Big Drama was not named the Florida-bred champion juvenile male of 2008, ceding that title to Vineyard Haven, winner of that year’s Three Chimneys Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga and the Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park.

Big Drama would win only one of five starts as a 3-year-old, winning the Listed Red Legend at Charles Town in June but he blossomed the following year at age 4.

He won three of five starts in 2010 including the $1.818 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs, and the Smile Sprint (G2) and $63,050 Ponche Handicap at Calder. His $1,420,810 in earnings was among the top 10 nationally that year.

 

He was named the 2010 Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter and Florida-bred champion older male but Dubai Majesty, winner of the 2010 Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1), edged him as the champion Florida-bred Sprinter and Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1)-winner Awesome Feather took home honors as the 2010 Florida-bred Horse of the Year.

As a 5-year-old in 2011, he won the Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park, setting a track record for six furlongs in 1:08.12—a record that stands today. 

 

Big Drama retired at the end of 2011 after finishing seventh in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs. His career ledger reflected 11 wins, four seconds and a third from 19 starts with earnings of $2,746,060.

He stood his first three seasons at stud at HallMarc Stallions at Stonewall Farm in Ocala, Fla. before moving to Bridlewood Farm for the 2015 breeding season. He returned to Stonewall’s Prestige Stallions in 2017 then stood at Oakton Farm Stallions in 2019 and 2020.

In January of 2021 at age 15, he was euthanized following complications from a stomach ailment before starting the breeding season at Stormborne Stallions in Citra, Fla.

Return to the August 16 issue of Wire to Wire