Big Drama eliminated any suspense with an impressive victory in Saturday's Smile  (Jim Lisa Photos)

Making his second start of the season, Harold L. Queen's homebred BIG DRAMA (Montbrook) confirmed his status as one of the nation's top sprinters with a commanding victory in Saturday's $350,000 Smile Sprint H. (G2) at Calder. The David Fawkes-trained colt tracked the pace in third through an opening quarter-mile in :21 3/5, seized the lead leaving the far turn and quickly opened a clear advantage in upper stretch, passing the half-mile point in :44 4/5. The four-year-old was never threatened in the final quarter-mile, cruising to a 1 1/2-length decision under Eibar Coa, and his final time of 1:10 4/5 was easily best of the four graded stakes on the Summit of Speed program.

A 3 3/4-length winner of the June 12 Ponche S. at Calder in his seasonal bow, Big Drama finished first in the Swale S. (G2) (disqualified to second) and Red Legend S. at seven furlongs last season, and also posted respectable second in the nine-furlong West Virginia Derby (G2) and a fifth in the Preakness (G1). His focus will be solely on sprints this year.

"He's grown up since last year," Fawkes commented. "He's a bigger, stronger horse. We'll keep him sprinting and hope to get him to the Breeders' Cup (Sprint) (G1). He'll probably run once at Saratoga and we'll see where we are at that time (whether to run again)."

"He certainly ran the way I expected him to run today," Coa said. "That last race in the Ponche set him up perfectly and Mr. Fawkes has him right where he needs to be at this point. I know this horse quite well and he feels as good as ever."