The Big Beast arrives for Carter Handicap

The Big Beast, the winner of the Grade 1 King’s Bishop last summer at Saratoga, arrived at Aqueduct on Sunday from Oaklawn Park to train up to the Grade 1, $400,000 Carter Handicap on April 4.

Trainer Tony Dutrow said the Grade 1 status of the Carter and the seven-furlong distance made that race more attractive to him and owner Alex Lieblong than the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, a six-furlong race at Oaklawn on April 9.

“We like the Beast more at seven than six,” said Dutrow, who was at Aqueduct on Monday to watch The Big Beast train.

The Big Beast won a six-furlong allowance race at Oaklawn on March 1. That was his first start since the King’s Bishop last August. The Big Beast came out of the King’s Bishop with a chip in an ankle that had to be surgically removed.

Since the allowance win, The Big Beast has worked once, breezing five-furlongs in 1:00.20, the fastest of 47 works at the distance that day.

“The horse is very good,” Dutrow said. ‘’He trained up to his last race well, we were happy with that performance, and he’s been very good towards the Carter.”

Dutrow said The Big Beast likely will work at Aqueduct on Saturday.

Dutrow also said that Javier Castellano, who was aboard The Big Beast for three victories last summer, including the King’s Bishop, will be back on the colt for the Carter. Ricardo Santana Jr. rode The Big Beast in the allowance win.