The Big Beast Returns to the Big Leagues

The Big Beast, a ginormous long-striding runner with a penchant for peppermints, will return to the big leagues April 4 in the $400,000 Carter Handicap (gr. I) on the TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) undercard at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Sidelined because of an ankle chip after his impressive Ketel One King's Bishop (gr. I) score last summer at Saratoga Race Course, the 4-year-old Maryland-bred son of Yes It's True   resumed training with Anthony Dutrow this winter at Oaklawn Park. He returned to the races March 1 to win a six-furlong allowance event at the Arkansas oval, galloping clear by 1 1/4 lengths under a hand ride.

"Physically he's about the same way as he was last summer, but mentally he has matured and become more focused and understands his job now," Dutrow said of the progression The Big Beast has made from age 3 to 4. "He has been training very good coming into this race. He had a very good workout over the inner (track) the other day (five furlongs in 1:00.01 March 28), and we trained him over the main (track) and he went over it remarkably well, so we're ready."

The seven-furlong Carter will present a much tougher field than that Oaklawn allowance for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's runner, who departs post 3 with Javier Castellano in the irons as the 5-2 favorite on the morning line. San Carlos Stakes (gr. I) winner Wild Dude will be shipping in from the West Coast, and local sprint star Palace is making his season debut.

New York-bred Palace carries highweight of 121 pounds in the Carter and will break from post 6 in a field of eight under regular rider Cornelio Velasquez. Trainer Linda Rice looks to bring the 6-year-old City ZIp   runner back from a sixth-place finish in the XpressBet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) last November, his most recent start. Last summer, Palace took the Forego Stakes (gr. I) and the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (gr. I) at Saratoga in back-to-back victories for owner Antonino Miuccio.

Wild Dude will make his first start outside of California for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who co-owns the 5-year-old son of Wildcat Heir   with Green B. Smith, Jr. Bred in Florida, Wild Dude won the Palos Verdes Stakes (gr. II) in February of 2014 at Santa Anita Park in his graded stakes debut, and then tried three races without success before taking the San Carlos March 7.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from post 7 and Wild Dude will carry 119.

Vince Scuderi's local runner Dads Caps won the Carter last year, but has not seen the winner's circle since then. He missed the Vosburgh (gr. I) by just a neck to Private Zone (Palace was third in that race), and ran second in his past two starts, the March 7 Tom Fool Handicap (gr. III) and the Feb. 7 Toboggan Stakes (gr. III). 

Jose Ortiz will the Rudy Rodriguez trainee from the rail. He also is set to carry 119.

Another runner of interest is Up Hill Stable's Clearly Now, making his first start since an eighth in the Forego last August. The Brian Lynch-trained runner was third in last year's Carter and bested Palace last July when he won the Belmont Championship Sprint Stakes (gr. III) by 6 1/4 lengths. Joel Rosario rides from post 2.

"He's in good order and been training very well," Lynch said. "It's not easy having to come back in a grade I race, but when you have a horse of his capability, there's really not that many races that he's eligible for. We couldn't be happier with where he's at heading in."