Del Park Valour Arabian Stakes Gr 2
7/26/2012

article courtesy Stephanie Courm/EARA

Bill Waldron's entry of Sanddpiper and Grilla went postward as the favorite in the $45,000 Valour Farms Arabian S. (G2) at Delaware Park on July 21. The pair faced 5 other challengers in the 1 1/16 mile race. At the start, it was Grilla and Ms Dixie who sprinted to the front. Grilla drifted wide and took the two of them out to the middle of the track, and they hooked into a spirited speed dual around the first turn. It was four lengths back to Sanddpiper in third.
Grilla held a short lead over Ms Dixie while Sanddpiper edged closer along the rail with So Big Is Better advancing into fourth. After a half mile, Ms Dixie was the first casualty of the fast pace, and she began to drop back. Sanddpiper took over the lead, but Quarter Moon Ranch's So Big Is Better was moving strongly on the outside.

Going around the bend, So Big Is Better ran right on by Sanddpiper. Grilla was trying to hang on, but Ovour The Top was making a rally that had started from last place

Hot Arabian jockey Gregorio Rivera kept So Big Is Better to task and he drew clear to win by an easy 2 3/4 lengths in a time of 1:58.38. 

file photo SoBig Is Better winning 2011 Ca Global Festival stake Alameda Cnty Fair (r)

Sanddpiper was second best, seven lengths in front of Ovour The Top. The first three were followed across the line by Grilla, Valiant Boy SBFAR, Born To Boogie MC and Ms Dixie.
The nearly white 8-year-old So Big Is Better was bred in Virginia by Jim and Dianne Morris and is trained by Scott Powell. He is a son of perennial leading sire Burning Sand and the only foal out of the ZT Ali Baba daughter, WW Mirror Image. So Big Is Better is having another solid year with 3 wins (2 stakes) from 4 starts in 2012. Over his career, he has shown incredible versatility with wins on turf and dirt, sprints and distance and at tracks all over the country. His lifetime record is 6/42(18-9-3)8-9, $198,090.