FRANKLIN — Da Big Hoss showed who’s boss Saturday in the $600,000 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3) at Kentucky Downs.

The defending champion took his time in moving up off the inside rail under jockey Florent Geroux before swinging to the outside at the five-sixteenths pole for a straight shot toward the front to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a hand-timed 2:35.08 over the 12-furlong distance.

“I just have so much confidence in this horse,” trainer Mike Maker said of Da Big Hoss. “Some people get nervous. It’s hard to get nervous, when he’s accomplished what he’s done.”

Da Big Hoss, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred chestnut horse claimed for $50,000 last year by current owner Skychai Racing, boosted his career earnings to $1,551,696 with the win on a wet course. A strong thunderstorm just before Race 7 on Saturday’s 10-race card caused a brief delay, but the course held up.

“Last year they actually canceled this race and moved it back a couple of days, so he ran when the course had some water on it,” Maker said. “So we knew he could handle it, had the race over the track, so weren’t too concerned other than the safety being the biggest concern. But I have a lot of confidence in this horse. The horse seems to amaze me.”

Maker said the rapidly changing race conditions – the course was rated “good” by the racing stewards – didn’t tempt him to offer any last-minute instructions to Geroux.

“We don’t handcuff Florent,” Maker said. “He rides him and he knows the horse well. A couple races this year he was a lot closer than we expected and he got the job done. Wherever he needs to be, he’s there.”

Bullards Alley, with jockey Marcelino Pedroza aboard, held on for second ahead of third-place finisher Rum Tum Tugger and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.

Geroux earned his third win of the afternoon in the $350,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies’ Sprint, guiding Mississippi Delta to a 1 3/4-length win in 1:18.79 over the 6-furlong distance. Geroux also finished second in two other stakes races – aboard Songsational in the More Than Ready Mile and No Fault of Mine in the One Dreamer Stakes.

In other stakes races Saturday:

•Favorite Watchyourownbobber scored a win under jockey Julien Leparoux in the $400,000 More Than Ready Mile by 4 1/2-lengths in 1:38.94.

•Lots o’ Lex, with jockey Channing Hill, captured the $150,000 One Dreamer Stakes, covering the mile and 70-yard distance for fillies and mares in 1:43.17.

Racing resumes at 1:25 p.m. Sunday at Kentucky Downs.

— Follow Sports Editor Jeff Nations on Twitter @Jeff_NationsBG or visit bgdailynews.com.