When trainer Michael Lerman leaned over the rail this week to give Big Data a reassuring pat, it was less about race strategy and more about quiet gratitude. After nearly two years of setbacks, the gelded son of Cloud Computing will line up again on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, contesting the $70,000 Duke of Mischief Handicap.
“He’s been through a lot,” Lerman said, reflecting on a journey that has seen false starts, freak mishaps, and months of rehab. “But he’s ready. He’s healthy, and most importantly—he still wants to run.”
The Duke of Mischief Stakes Returns a Familiar Face
The Duke of Mischief, a one-turn mile on the main track for 3-year-olds and up, is one of five stakes on a glittering 11-race card that also features the $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3), a Breeders’ Cup qualifier for the Filly & Mare Sprint.
Big Data, owned by Petal Power Racing Stable, last ran May 17 in his comeback, finishing seventh in an optional claimer. Since then, he’s sharpened steadily at Palm Meadows, leaving his connections optimistic.
“He tripped over himself in that first start back,” Lerman explained. “It’s taken a couple of months to right the ship, but this is another step forward.”
A Career Interrupted
Big Data’s record—three wins, five seconds, and $277,630 from 10 starts—tells only part of the story. As a three-year-old in 2023, he was on the rise, winning the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs before a narrow defeat in the Bourbon Trail at Churchill Downs. He was being pointed toward the Grade 2 Clark when injury struck.
More than 600 days passed before his next start. “He was in super form,” Lerman recalled. “Then training injuries, stall accidents… one thing after another. Good horses do this to themselves sometimes.”
Now gelded, Big Data appears more focused. “He was a distracted colt. As a gelding, he’s fitter, lighter, and happier,” Lerman said.
Jersey Joe Joins the Story
Adding to the sense of comeback is the rider himself. Joe Bravo, long a fan favorite and close family friend of Big Data’s owner, returns from a broken finger to take the mount. “She’s perfectly fine with him riding the horse,” Lerman smiled.
Bravo, who guided more than 5,700 winners in a career spanning since 1988, admits he’s missed the saddle. Friday, he finished second in his first race back. On Saturday, he partners with a horse on a mission of renewal.
The Field Ahead
It will not be an easy assignment. Multiple stakes winner Lure Him In, along with Fiveeyesonskystars, Steppe, Awesome Train, Pure Class, and Roar of the Beast, add plenty of depth to the Duke of Mischief field.
But for Big Data, this race is about more than the winner’s circle—it’s about proof that resilience still has a place in racing. “He always tries. He’s very genuine,” Lerman said.
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