Harold Queen's homebred Big Drama was euthanized over the weekend following complications from a stomach ailment. The stallion was 15.
Bred in Florida out of the Notebook mare Riveting Drama, Big Drama was a half brother to grade 1 winner Sheer Drama. He captured the 2010 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), besting a field that included eventual two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan. During that championship campaign, Big Drama also won the Smile Sprint Handicap (G2) and was runner up in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and the Forego Stakes (both G1). He was named champion sprinter in 2010 as well as Florida's champion older horse the same year. He retired with a record of 11-4-1 form 19 starts and $2,746,060 in purse earnings.
"He was just a really neat horse to have in the barn," said trainer David Fawkes. "He was easy to train and did everything right from day 1. The older he got the better he got. He went through a brief period where we had to do some minor surgeries on him and he came back great, he won the Breeders' Cup after that. And got the Eclipse Award. When he won the Mr. Prospector he ran a 120 Beyer number and ran a -3 on the Ragozins. That was unheard of. When he was on, he was on. He was as good a horse as you ever put a saddle on.
"How do you replace a horse like that? I mean his sister was great. We had a lot of fun with Sheer Drama. That whole line was a great line of horses. Sheer Drama, Little Drama, Big Drama. Riveting Drama was one great broodmare."
Big Drama retired to stud at HallMarc Stallions at Stonewall Farm in Ocala, Fla., in 2012. In 2015, he was moved to Florida's Bridlewood Farm but returned to Stonewall's Prestige Stallions in 2017. He spent 2019 and 2020 at Oakton Farm Stallions and had been listed as standing at Stormborne Stallions in Citra, Fla., for 2021.
A son of former leading Florida stallion Montbrook, Big Drama is the sire of four stakes winners and one champion from seven crops of racing age. His sole champion is Whisper Light, who earned highest honors while racing in Trinidad and Tobago. Out of the Yankee Victor mare Yankee Victoria, Whisper Light is a half sister to Norfolk Stakes (G2) winner Shang Shang Shang.
