One week ago, Big Big Daddy had gone off as the favourite in a $500,000 claiming race. The crowd expected a win but instead, he faded and crossed the line a disappointing fourth, some 7 lengths on July 18, 2026.

But horses don’t read the form and new trainer Steven Todd saw something others didn’t. He put in the claim slip and took him straight from Peter-John Parsard’s barn.

Todd didn’t drop him, he stepped him up the claiming ladder and into into tougher company in an Optional Claiming tag of $700,000-$600,000 for three-year-olds and upward going six furlongs (1,200m) that included native-bred five-year-olds and seasoned imported six-year-olds who hadn’t won four yet on Saturday, July 25.

At the break, jockey Phillip Parchment didn’t hesitate as he asked Big Big Daddy once, and the nine-year-old dark bay horse answered. He shot to the lead like he’d been shot out of a cannon, with Kem (Eric Haughton) and Alchemy of Souls (Shaheem Gordon) chasing him.

Down the backstretch he was relaxed, ears pricked, breathing easy, and at the half-mile (800m) pole he was still in front, and you could feel it when Big Big Daddy upped the tempo as the distanced approached.

Turning for home, Parchment barely moved and Big Big Daddy just found another gear. In deep stretch he opened up, not a fight, not a duel but putting pressure on the competition and by the wire he was three lengths clear.

Rejected Raja (Reyan Lewis) came on late for second with Battle Angel (Richie Shakes) grabbing third place.

Big Big Daddy is bred by Natural Selection out of the Vanadium mare Just A Flutter. It was his second win from seven starts this season after going winless last year from three outings.