After being overpowered by Highalator in a Great Northeast event at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono earlier in the month, Im A Big Deal ($3.60) got back in the win column on Sunday afternoon (June 23) at Harrah's Philadelphia with a 1:50.2 score in the $18,000 featured top-level pace.
Dexter Dunn took his time with the four-year-old Sombeachsomewhere entire, sitting well off pacesetter Ballerat Boomerang (Andy Miller) through splits of :26.4 and :55.2 before sliding Im A Big Deal second-over up the backstretch. After Cruise Patrol (George Napolitano Jr.) forced a :26.4 third split and kept grinding closer on the far turn, Dunn switched Im A Big Deal three-wide at head-stretch.
The Chris Ryder trainee responded at once, surging clear by 1-1/2 lengths to post his fourth victory of the year and the 12th of his career. Cruise Patrol was an eclipsed second, while Perfect Bet (Andy McCarthy) emerged from traffic to take third.
Craig Henderson and Robert Mondillo share ownership of Im A Big Deal with Ryder.
Simon Allard and Tim Tetrick both accounted for driving hat tricks on the 14-race card.
Live racing returns to Harrah's Philadelphia on Wednesday (June 26), with a 13-race program set to commence at 12:25 p.m. The fifth race features a $19,676.68 carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Hi-5.
(Harrah's Philadelphia)