Chelsea Durand Photo

The Big Torpedo sinks the competition in NYSSS Cab Calloway

by Keith McCalmont

Thomas Albrecht, Vincent Fusaro and James Klein’s The Big Torpedo made every pole a winning one in Thursday’s $150,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a one-mile inner turf test for eligible state-sired sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Tom Morley and expertly piloted by Eric Cancel, the Big Brown chestnut stretched out successfully from his score last month in the six-furlong NYSSS Spectacular Bid over firm Belmont at the Big A turf.

“He’s a really neat horse. He’s an absolute joy to have in the barn, and he’s a very adaptable horse,” Morley said. “I like the fact that Eric took no prisoners today and said, ‘look, I’m on the best horse in the race and I’m not going to overcomplicate it.’ I thought it was a very good ride and a very good performance to go that fast early and then quicken up as well.”

The Big Torpedo showed the way through splits of 23.99 seconds and 46.97 over the firm going while being watched by B D Saints from second with maiden Courtly Banker – runner-up in the Spectacular Bid - saving ground in third position under Hall of Famer John Velazquez to the inside of stakes-placed Fidelightcayut.

The Big Torpedo led through the final turn with Courtly Banker advancing with purpose as B D Saints retreated and Fidelightcayut came under a ride from Irad Ortiz, Jr. But there was no denying The Big Torpedo, who found another gear in the stretch run and sunk any hope his challengers may have mustered to score by 4 1/2-lengths in a final time of 1:35.01.

Courtly Banker completed the exacta by 3 1/4-lengths over Fidelightcayut with B D Saints, Cable Ready, Six Fortyfive and Solo Empire rounding out the order of finish.

Cancel said he felt comfortable throughout aboard The Big Torpedo, who he has now guided to three wins.

“He is very mature mentally; it is great to ride horses like him. He knew what he needed to do,” Cancel said. “He came out of the gate; we took the lead and we just slowed it down as much as we could. He was very comfortable the pace that he was going in. From there on it was just game over for everybody else."

Morley said he continues to be impressed by his versatile charge, who once again dispensed of Courtly Banker.

“My concern with cutting back to six [furlongs in the Spectacular Bid] was he hadn’t sprinted, and then today the concern was he might be a bit keen early coming out of the sprint race,” Morley said. “He did manage to go a half [mile] in 46 and change here, but I don’t think Eric was ever in any doubt about the fact that he still had horse at the quarter pole to quicken up. He [Courtly Banker] made a nice little run at him and it kept his mind on the job when he heard that horse behind him. He switched leads and quickened up real well.”

Velazquez said the Barclay Tagg-trained Courtly Banker was game in defeat.

“I had a good trip. I was trying to follow the eventual winner,” Velazquez said. “He beat my horse already, so I thought I was in a great position following him. We were second best."

The Big Torpedo, out of the winning Empire Maker mare U. S. S. O’ Brien, debuted in November with a runner-up effort over the Big A turf. He made his next four starts on dirt at the Big A, beginning in the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way in December where he was elevated to third after being bumped and checked hard at the quarter-pole. The Big Torpedo was a popular maiden winner at third asking, taking a state-bred one-turn mile by 10 lengths in January ahead of an off-the-board effort in the state-bred Gander in February and a second in a state-bred optional-claimer in March.

The talented chestnut returned to turf in April at Aqueduct with a close second to the well-regarded Good Lord Lorrie in the one-mile Woodhaven against open company leading into his impressive rail run to win the Spectacular Bid.

Morley said The Big Torpedo will return to Belmont Park and train towards a Spa start in either the state-bred 1 1/16-mile $125,000 Rick Violette on August 15 or the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3, $175,000 Saranac on August 30.

Bred in the Empire State by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, The Big Torpedo banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 8-3-3-1. He returned $3 for a $2 win bet as the 1-2 mutuel favorite.

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the $135,000 Curlin in Race 3. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.