The Big Beast's owners find success at Saratoga meet

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong will be back at Saratoga on Friday, less than a week after the Conway, Ark., residents watched The Big Beast give them their third career Grade 1 victory as owners in the King’s Bishop. It’s been a big meet for the Lieblongs, who also race I Spent It, the winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 10.

The couple has made a handful of trips to Saratoga this summer, which has worked out well for Alex Lieblong, a 63-year-old who works in investments and had business in New York City during the Saratoga meet. This weekend’s trip again will be a mix of fun and business.

“We’re going to go visit who’s paying the bills,” Alex Lieblong said of the stable’s stars.

But Lieblong also is going to be talking shop with trainer Tony Dutrow, debating future plans for The Big Beast and I Spent It and also meeting with some individuals who have expressed interest in purchasing the horses. I Spent It is nominated to the Grade 1 Hopeful, which closes out the meet Monday.

“I don’t think we’re going to run in the Hopeful, but you never know,” Lieblong said. “He’s doing very, very well. He had a great work [Tuesday]. But three weeks back is kind of quick. Tony and I are going to sit down and visit.”

I Spent It, who sits atop the 2-year-old rankings put out by Daily Racing Form national handicapper Mike Watchmaker, was a $600,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale of 2-year-olds in training in March. He’s a son of Super Saver.

The Lieblongs also purchased The Big Beast as a 2-year-old in training for $150,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale Co. sale in April 2013. He’s a son of Yes It’s True, and he’s won 3 of 5 starts and $415,500. The Big Beast is a half-brother to Big Lute, who was one of the most impressive debut winners of the Oaklawn Park meet in 2013.

“That’s what made me go look at him,” Lieblong said of the family connection, as the Lieblongs originally raced Big Lute. “And I was very impressed by his [work for the sale]. He just kind of skipped along. It looked more like a gallop than a workout.”

The Big Beast debuted at Lieblong’s home track of Oaklawn and was second by a neck in a maiden special weight sprint in March. He started his career with trainer Steve Hobby, then was sent to Dutrow, with Hobby being based this summer in Kentucky.

“The reason for him to go up north was because he’s a Maryland-bred,” Lieblong said. “It didn’t make sense to keep him in Kentucky.”

The Big Beast won his maiden at Belmont Park in June, then last month accounted for a first-level allowance at Saratoga. He closed with diligence to win the King’s Bishop by a neck over Fast Anna. “He was playing it kind of close to the edge,” Lieblong said. “We really expected there to be a speed duel up front, two or three of them hooking up together, but they let Fast Anna go. He’s a nice horse. Nobody went with him, and it made The Beast work to close into those types of fractions.”

The other Grade 1 wins for the Lieblongs came courtesy of Telling, who captured back-to-back runnings of the Sword Dancer at Saratoga in 2009 and 2010. Hobby trained the horse and continues to train for the couple, as does David Fawkes, who is based in Florida.

“We always enjoy Saratoga,” Alex Lieblong said. “We’ve been very fortunate this year.”