Think Big

Think Big began his racing career on dirt and won one of four starts from late June to October 2024, but showed an affinity for turf in his final start of his 3-year-old season when he closed with a rush to win a 5 ½-furlong grass sprint at Fair Grounds going away by 2 ¼ lengths.

His January 2025 debut was scheduled to be held at the same distance and on the same course, but was switched to dirt, and Think Big ran a creditable third. He then returned to sprinting on Fair Grounds’ turf course again in February  and once again rallied strongly to win by 2 ½ lengths.

Sporting a 2-for-2 record on grass, Think Big broke from the outside post in a field of 10 and was overlooked by bettors in a highly competitive edition of the Grade 2 Valvoline Global Shakertown Stakes April 8 at Keeneland. Under a skillful ride by jockey Ben Curtis, who had ridden him to his prior turf wins, Think Big settled closer to the early pace in the 5 ½-furlong Shakertown and moved into contention with a three-wide rush in early stretch. He kept that momentum to the finish, edging European invader Rogue Lightning by a half-length to prevail.

The Twirling Candy gelding was back less than four weeks later for a start in the $600,000, Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by Accenture at Churchill Downs on the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve undercard. He was sent off as the post-time favorite with Curtis back aboard and once again matched up with Rogue Lightning as well as several intriguing new opponents. After sitting in mid-pack, Think Big looked defeated in early stretch as California shipper Boss Sully drove clear, but under strong urging, he rallied swiftly in the final strides to engage and then edge that foe at the finish, tallying his second consecutive Grade 2 victory and extending his unbeaten streak on turf to four. The win streak finally came to an end on June 8 at Saratoga when Think Big finished seventh as the favorite in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes.

Think Big was primarily a sprinter through the first 10 races of his career but he was able to show a new dimension in his next start when coming off the loss in the Jaipur. He stretched out for his next outing to one mile and was entered in the Grade 3 $175,000 Kelso Stakes at Saratoga on July 5. The betting public was skeptical of Think Big at a mile and he was sent off at 6.50-1 odds on the tote board in a seven-horse field, but he nevertheless proved up to the task. Think Big came from off the pace to track down the leaders in the stretch and post the one-length victory under jockey Jose Ortiz.

Think Big is a Godolphin homebred out of the Street Sense mare Always Thinking, a stakes winner sprinting on turf.