Big Trouble finally found the right setup at Horseshoe Indianapolis, then finished the job with one late run. The 5-year-old mare swept past her rivals in the final strides Friday to win the $100,000 Clarksville Handicap by a half-length in 55.26 seconds on firm turf. This was the sixth running of the five-furlong stakes for fillies and mares, and it took patience from new rider Mitchell Murrill to get the 9/5 favorite home.
La Puma broke sharply and took the field along under Santo Sanjur, forcing the race into a pace-and-position battle that gave the deep closers a target. Big Trouble, carrying 125 pounds, was in no hurry early and waited while the leaders sorted themselves out on the far turn. When the field straightened for the drive, Murrill sent her widest of all, and the mare dug in late to get up in the final strides and complete the run down to the wire.
The official chart showed Slang finishing second, Shirley Ann third and Paynt Ya Later fourth in the 12-runner field after Lucy McGee was scratched. Slang, with Joe Ramos aboard, stayed close enough to pressure the finish, while Shirley Ann and Amir Mendoza also made a late move. Paynt Ya Later and Evin Roman were right behind them, but none could match Big Trouble’s final kick once the pace had taken its toll.
The win carried extra weight because it fit the profile that has made Big Trouble dangerous all season. Equibase lists her now at 22 starts with 4 wins, 8 seconds and 4 thirds for $472,623 in earnings, including a 2026 line of 6 starts, 1 win, 3 seconds and 1 third worth $140,380. She is a Kentucky-bred mare foaled Feb. 13, 2021, by Kantharos out of Into Trouble by Into Mischief, owned and bred by Donamire Farm and trained by Gregory D. Foley.
That combination of pace, patience and timing is exactly what makes her hard to ignore in the summer sprint division. Travis Foley called her “super consistent” and said she “has to come from the right trip,” a description that matched the Clarksville perfectly. Big Trouble is now a multiple stakes winner, and with a setup that rewarded a sustained late run on firm turf, she looked every bit like a mare still capable of landing more regional stakes when the pace collapses in front of her.
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