The Big Beast Looking at Stakes Return
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Trainer Tony Dutrow said March 4 that grade I winner The Big Beast appeared fine physically coming out of a win in his 4-year-old debut March 1 and is scheduled to make his next start in the $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (gr. III) April 9.
Dutrow said before the meeting began that the son of Yes It's True would race twice at Oaklawn Park, with the ultimate goal being the Count Fleet.
"It's all just turned out very, very good for us," Dutrow said.
In Sunday's race, The Big Beast tracked multiple stakes winner Alsvid through a :22.82 opening quarter and a :46.35 half-mile. Without feeling the whip, The Big Beast wore down Alsvid on the outside in the final furlong to claim his fourth consecutive victory and first outside of New York. The Big Beast ran six furlongs over a good, sealed track in 1:10.68.
"Those horses made him run," Dutrow said. "I've got nothing but respect for those horses that tried him."
It marked the first start for The Big Beast since winning the Ketel One King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 23 at Saratoga Race Course. The Maryland-bred colt came out of the race with an ankle chip and didn't resume training until the fall.
The Big Beast finished a troubled second in his March 29, 2014, career debut at Oaklawn for trainer Steve Hobby. The horse was transferred to Dutrow following that race and reeled off three consecutive victories last summer in New York, including the King's Bishop in his stakes debut. He has a 4-1-1 record in six career starts and has $456,300 in earnings for owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong.