A faceless maiden in his debut race last year, The Big Beast returned to Oaklawn Park Sunday as a Grade 1 winner -- and looked the part.
Making his first start since winning the King's Bishop in August on Saratoga's Travers Day undercard, the Arkansas-owned colt made a successful 4-year-old debut in a $68,000 allowance race. With a stalking trip, The Big Beast defeated last-out Oaklawn winner Double Ours by a length and a quarter, clocking six furlongs in 1:10.68 on a sealed surface upgraded two races earlier from "muddy" to "good."
Ricardo Santana Jr. rode The Big Beast for Conway owners Alex and Jo Ann Lieblong, giving trainer Tony Dutrow his first victory of the meeting. Dutrow chose Sunday's race instead of Saturday's $100,000 Hot Springs, won last year by eventual Breeders' Cup winner and champion sprinter Work All Week. Unless plans change, The Big Beast, on a four-race winning streak, will use the single prep for Oaklawn's Grade 3 $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap April 9.
Santana let The Big Beast, carrying 118 pounds, settle into second down the backstretch and into the turn. Alsvid, last-out second in Oaklawn's King Cotton, led by one length at the head of the stretch under Cliff Berry before the odds-on favorite reeled him in.
Equibase Co. trackman Jeff Taylor noted in the chart that The Big Beast did it "under a firm hand ride without feeling the whip."
The winner paid $3.80, $2.80 and $2.10. Double Ours, last early under Jesus Castanon, returned $4.80 and $2.40 while Alsvid, second in all six previous Oaklawn races, finished a length and a half back in third.
Maryland-bred The Big Beast is a half-brother (by Yes It's True) to the Lieblong-owned, Steve Hobby-trained Oaklawn winner Big Lute (by Midnight Lute). Both were produced by champion Deputy Minister's daughter V V S Flawless. The Big Beast finished second by a neck to fellow first-time starter Fabulous Kid last March 29 at Oaklawn -- the last time anyone may see 20-1 odds on the colt.
* Another Dutrow-trained stakes winner worked between races Sunday, I Spent It getting five furlongs in 59.80 seconds under Santana. The Super Saver colt's 3-year-old debut could come in the Grade 2 $750,000 Rebel March 14 at a mile and sixteenth or the $100,000 Gazebo March 21 at six furlongs.
A July debut winner on Long Island's Belmont Park, I Spent It won the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in his second start, then finished second in the Grade 1 Hopeful at the upstate New York track. The Lieblongs own the colt in partnership with Three Chimney Farm.
* Also working between races was King Cotton winner and expected Hot Springs starter Ivanfallunovalot, owned by Lewis Mathews Jr. of Bismarck. Hall of Famer Calvin Borel worked the 5-year-old Valid Expectations gelding a half-mile in 47.60 seconds for trainer Tom Howard.
Sports on 03/02/2015