David Fawkes | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Just Tickled To Be Able To Race’: Lieblongs Enjoying Early-Season Success At Oaklawn

Prominent Conway, Ark., owner Alex Lieblong said he spent a lot of time late last year at his vacation home in the Florida Keys.

Understandable.

Lieblong, among other things in 2020, broke his foot, contracted coronavirus and as chairman of the Arkansas Racing Commission was in the middle of a bitter legal fight to award a casino permit in Pope County.

“I just said, 'I'm going to hide down there,' ” Lieblong said.

Lieblong is back and so are the horses he and wife JoAnn own and now campaign at their home track, Oaklawn, with Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

The Lieblongs recorded their first career Oaklawn triple Jan. 24, when Asmussen saddled favorites Earner ($3.80), Willful Woman ($4.20) and unbeaten Abrogate ($3.60) to win races 2, 3 and 8, respectively.

“I felt good and they were training well,” said Alex Lieblong, 70, who watched the races from home. “It was a good day to do it.”

The Lieblongs were Oaklawn's third-leading owners last year with 11 victories and the triple pushed their career total in Hot Springs to 117. They entered the game in the early 1990s and won their first race at Oaklawn in 1999, although JoAnn Lieblong, in partnership, recorded several victories earlier in the decade with noted Little Rock, Ark., owner Patricia Blass.

Now established owners and breeders, the Lieblongs normally keep roughly 20 horses in training – the bulk are now at Oaklawn with Asmussen – and have approximately 14 broodmares at Ocala Stud in Florida, where they stand their Grade 1 winner, The Big Beast.

The trio of Jan. 24 winners were all purchased at auction – Earner for $425,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Willful Woman for $400,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and Abrogate for $270,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Abrogate, who cleared her first allowance condition in the sprint for 3-year-old fillies, is from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Outwork. She is 2 for 2 in her career (both sprints).

“I watched the gallop-out two or three times and it didn't seem like she was just collapsing after the line, I'll put it that way,” Lieblong said, referring to a potential future route attempt. “She's got a good mind and she's not a run off. She was so gorgeous at the sale. To pay that for an Outwork – that was at the outer limits for an Outwork filly, although I think Outwork is going to prove himself to be a pretty nice sire.”

Willful Woman, another 3-year-old filly, is from the first crop of champion Nyquist. She is a half-sister to the Asmussen-trained Ever So Clever, winner of the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies in 2017 at Oaklawn.

Willful Woman was making her third career start after running third twice last fall in Kentucky. She broke her maiden at a mile.

“We knew (Abrogate) was a good filly,” Lieblong said. “The other one needed to show a little something and she did. She's had a growth spurt. I can tell that. She's gotten big, that Willful Woman. I was worried that the mile might be a tick too short for her, but she looked pretty impressive herself.”

The Lieblongs have two other horses at Oaklawn with trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs and another with trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs. The Lieblongs also have had a long business relationship with trainer David Fawkes, who is based in south Florida. Skip Intro, a 3-year-old half-brother to 2020 male sprint champion Whitmore, is with Moquett. The trainer also conditions Whitmore, a seven-time Oaklawn stakes winner.

The Jan. 24 triple vaulted the Lieblongs into the top spot in the Oaklawn owner's standings after the first three days of the scheduled 57-day meeting. They have at least one victory at every Oaklawn meet since 2001, including a career-best 12 in 2019. The Lieblongs were Oaklawn's third-leading owners in 2019.

“I always remember David Fawkes telling me one time that everything can be going so good and then all of sudden somebody just kind of rolls a hand grenade down the center of your barn,” Lieblong said on the eve of 2021 Oaklawn meeting. “I thought, 'That's about like it is.' About the time you think you have things lined up, here comes the hand grenade. We're just tickled to be able to race. You've got to hand it to Oaklawn to get it done. They've jumped through a lot of hoops to get it done.”

Oaklawn raced, uninterrupted, through the COVID-19 crisis last year, though without spectators for the final 29 dates of the 57-day meeting. Oaklawn's 2021 meeting began Jan. 22 with limited spectators, owing to Arkansas Department of Health guidelines.

In addition to The Big Beast, the Lieblongs have campaigned Grade 1 winners Wicked Whisper, Embellish the Lace and Telling, Grade 2 winners I Spent It and High Dollar Woman and multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Spring Included. They still race Bye Bye J, another multiple local stakes winner who is scheduled to make her 2021 debut Feb. 4 at Oaklawn. Bye Bye J is among the top Arkansas-bred female money winners in history. The Lieblongs also raced millionaire Duke of Mischief, winner of the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in 2010, in partnership with Fawkes and the horse's breeder, Marilyn McMaster.

Alex Lieblong heads Lieblong & Associates, Inc., a financial advisory firm in Little Rock, Ark.

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‘Blue-Collar’ Noble Drama Set To Defend Title In Sunshine Classic

Harold Queen's Noble Drama has amassed earnings of more than $600,000 while winning five stakes and placing in 12 stakes during his 24-race career. Not bad for the “black sheep” of his family.

Noble Drama is out of a half-sister to 2010 Eclipse champion sprinter Big Drama and full sister to multiple Grade 1-stakes winner Sheer Drama.

While his exploits pale in comparisons to those of his Grade 1 kin, Noble Drama has been a most productive member of trainer David Fawkes' Gulfstream Park-based stable for the past few years.

“He's a little horse that always tries to win. He always tries hard. If you weren't looking for him, you wouldn't know he's in the barn. He's easy to deal with. There's never an issue with him,” said Fawkes, who also trained both Big Drama and Sheer Drama for Queen. “I'd take 20 of him.”

Queen's 6-year-old homebred gelding is scheduled to make a title defense in Saturday's $75,000 Sunshine Classic, one of four stakes for Florida-breds on Saturday's 12-race program in Hallandale Beach, Fla., with a 11:45 a.m. first-race post time. Noble Drama is also eligible for a win-only bonus of $25,000 offered to Florida Sire Stakes-eligible entrants.

The ever-versatile son of Gone Astray has never been a source of drama while winning from 6 ½ furlongs to the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Sunshine Classic.

“He's just a racehorse. He likes doing it. He's an easy-keeper. He's light, easy on himself. He's not a heavy-built horse,” Fawkes said. “He's a great blue-collar horse. We can take him anywhere we want. He doesn't have to take his surface with him. He's won at Calder; he's won at Tampa; and he's won here.”

Noble Drama is coming off a somewhat disappointing third-place finish as the 6-5 favorite in a seven-furlong Florida Sire Stakes race at Tampa Bay Downs Dec. 12.

“The race at Tampa, I really don't have an excuse for him, why he lost contact with the field. He left himself too much to do,” Fawkes said.

Noble Drama won back-to-back stakes in his two most recent starts at Gulfstream Park, where he scored in the seven-furlong Benny The Bull and the mile FSS Wildcat Heir.

Emisael Jaramillo, who rode Noble Drama in the Wildcat Heir, has the call.

Equine Authority Inc.'s Red Crescent, who finished a head behind Noble Drama while finishing second in last year's Sunshine Classic, is set for another clash this year. The John Vinson-trained 7-year-old gelding is coming off a sharp optional claiming allowance victory Dec. 3.

Paco Lopez has the return mount aboard Red Crescent.

Michael Dubb and partners' Last Judgment will drop from a troubled eighth-place finish in the Dec. 19 Mr. Prospector (G3, his first start for trainer Michael Maker since being claimed out of a Belmont optional claiming allowance win for $62,500.

Jose Ortiz has the call on the 5-year-old gelded son of Congrats.

IAB Stable and Walter Fralick's Quenane, who registered a 27-1 upset over Noble Drama in the Nov. 14 Sunshine Classic Preview over a sloppy Gulfstream Park West track; Mathis Stable LLC's Roman Empire, a Todd Pletcher-trained 4-year-old who finished second in a Dec. 9 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream; Dig Than Mine LLC and trainer Steve Klesaris' Scar, who won a Dec. 20 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream; and Marco Thoroughbred Corp.'s Kaufy Bean, a late-developing 4-year-old son of Adios Charlie, round out the field.

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$425,000 Guarantee In Gulfstream Park West Rainbow 6 Wednesday

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $425,000 Wednesday at Gulfstream Park West in Miami Gardens, Fla.

The Rainbow 6 went unsolved for the 15^th straight racing day Sunday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $629.86.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Big Thorn wins 'off turf' Juvenile Turf
Alex and Joanne Lieblong's Big Thorn benefited from a perfect trip, as well as the morning rains that forced turf races to be run over the sloppy main track, to score a dominating victory in Sunday's $60,000 Juvenile Turf at Gulfstream Park West.

The seven-furlong Juvenile Turf for Florida-bred 2-year-olds, which was originally scheduled to be run at a mile on the turf course, co-headlined Sunday's program with the $60,000 Millions Filly and Mare Turf for Florida-bred fillies and mares.

Big Thorn, a main-track-only entrant who had broken his maiden by five lengths in his previous start, raced in third behind dueling pacesetters Hot Blooded and Fulmini, who put up fractions of 22.99 and 45.77 seconds for the first half-mile. Jockey Paco Lopez made a three-wide sweep to the lead leaving the turn into the homestretch aboard the home-bred colt, who drew off to a notch a 4 ½-length victory.

Fulmini, who was ridden by Edgard Zayas, finished second, 9 ¼ lengths clear of Castle King. Big Thorn, the 2-1 favorite, ran seven furlongs in 1:23.23.

“We were fortunate that the race came off and it helped shortening up to seven-eighths. I didn't expect him to be quite as close as he was. Paco told me he put him into the race early but after that it was all over,” trainer David Fawkes said. “He had so much horse through the whole race. He really, really likes the horse. When he got off the horse he said, 'Damn, this is a nice horse.'”

Big Thorn finished second in his Sept. 26 debut at Gulfstream in an open maiden special weight race before dominating Florida-bred rivals back-to-back.

“He ran a little green last time, but this time much, much more professional. He acted up on the van coming over, he did a lot of things last time he ran that could have jeopardized him but it obviously didn't,” Fawkes said. “We'll just wait and look for the next spot, that's all. I don't like to look too far ahead.”

Windylea Farm LLC's Thissmytime ($11) relished the sloppy going while registering an easy victory in the Millions Filly and Mare Preview. Like Big Thorn, Thissmytime was a main-track-only entrant in the seven-furlong race that was originally scheduled for 7 ½ furlongs on turf.

Ridden by Joe Bravo, who captured the $60,000 Millions Turf Preview on Saturday's GPW card, Thissmytime closely tracked pacesetter Picara, who showed the way into the far turn after running the first quarter of a mile in 22.45 seconds. Thissmytime moved to the lead entering the turn into the homestretch during a 44.45-second half-mile and drew off powerfully and comfortably to register her first stakes victory.

The Kathleen O'Connell-trained 3-year-old daughter of Carpe Diem ran seven furlongs in a sharp 1:21.40. Starship Nala closed to finish clear of R Prerogative, the 9-5 favorite.

Miguel Vasquez rode four winners on Sunday's program, propelling him into a 39-39 tie with defending champion Edgard Zayas in the race for the jockey's title with three cards remaining in the Gulfstream Park West meet. Vasquez scored aboard Terry's Dream ($13) in Race 3, Lavi ($5.40) in Race 4, Walkoff ($5.20) in Race 5 and Itsmyluckygirl ($5) in Race 8.

However, Vasquez also completed his final day of riding at Gulfstream Park West and is scheduled to return to competition on Wednesday, Dec. 2, the opening day of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet.

Rohan Crichton, who saddled Itsmyluckygirl for her victory, holds a 17-15 lead over Antonio Sano in the race for the trainer's title. Saffie Joseph Jr., the defending titlist, has had 14 winners.

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Gulfstream West: Galleon Mast Chasing Three-Peat In Millions Turf Preview

Anne D. Scott's multiple stakes-winning gelding Galleon Mast, unraced since Labor Day, gets the chance to end one streak and continue another when he makes his return in Saturday's $60,000 Millions Turf Preview at Gulfstream Park West.

The 1 1/16-mile Turf Preview for 3-year-olds and up is one of two Florida-bred grass stakes on the nine-race program, joined by the $60,000 Juvenile Fillies Turf going one mile. First race post time is 12:35 p.m.

Galleon Mast has yet to win a race in five scattered starts this year, all in stakes, with one second and three thirds. The 7-year-old has won at least once in each of his first five seasons, including back-to-back editions of the Turf Preview at Gulfstream West, where he has three wins and a second from seven career ties.

“It's been a little frustrating this year,” trainer David Fawkes said. “I gave him a lot of time and when he came back I don't think he got back into his game like I thought he would. But, I'll tell you what. Right now, he's as good as I've ever seen him. He's put weight on. Everything's great about what he's doing.”

Galleon Mast won the 2018 Turf Preview by a nose and last year's edition by a head. He hasn't won since, finishing second in the Soldier's Dancer in June and third in the Jan. 18 Sunshine Millions Turf, July 25 Mecke and Sept. 7 Mr. Steele, all at Gulfstream.

“He's training excellent. I'm really excited about running him,” Fawkes said. “He's doing really, really good.”

Galleon Mast has been first or second in 23 of 38 career races, 10 of them wins, with eight thirds and $657,370 in purse earnings. Second in the 2018 Canadian Turf (G3) during the Championship Meet, he has shown Fawkes no signs of slowing down.

“We always spaced his races out pretty good. At the same time, the way things have been going this year there's been races I've wanted to run him in and haven't had the opportunity,” Fawkes said. “His longevity is incredible. He's been with me for so long. He's a real cool horse. It'd be great to win this race a third time.”

Paco Lopez, aboard for each of his previous Turf Preview wins, rides back from Post 7 in a field of 10.

Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Muggsamatic beat Galleon Mast by a length in the Soldier's Dancer and returns as one of two horses entered by trainer Mike Maker, along with Second Mate. Muggsamatic, 6, is a 10-time career winner exiting a third-place effort Sept. 16 at Kentucky Downs.

Eccentric Club Racing Stable's Second Mate finished off the board in a one-mile optional claiming allowance Oct. 29 at Gulfstream West behind Max K.O., who also returns in the Turf Preview. Another 7-year-old gelding who, like Galleon Mast, is by Mizzen Mast, Second Mate was beaten a head and neck when third in last year's Turf Preview.

Network Stables' Sir Seamus had a three-race win streak snapped when fourth in an off-the-turf optional claiming allowance going 1 1/8 miles Sept. 12 at Gulfstream. The 4-year-old gelding has won four of six starts since trainer Carlos David – who won two stakes at Gulfstream West last weekend – claimed him from Maker for $16,000 in February.

“He's not easy to train but I think we've got his number, and he's done well. He's been amazing. His second start for us he didn't run well. He got a little bumped around the turn and he just kind of gave up that day,” David said. “He might have twisted his knee a little bit or something, because he was a little sore the next day. But after that we did a little work with him and he won three in a row.

“They were cheaper races, but he had great numbers,” he added. “He likes to be on the lead and he's very hard to rate, so if you're going to have a horse pressing him he's going to have a hard time. He's won at a mile and a sixteenth before, and if we get a good trip he should be able to do it.”

Rancho Alegre's 3-year-old Monforte has yet to race at Gulfstream West but is six-for-11 lifetime including a victory in the 7 ½-furlong Bear's Den Sept. 5 and has won four of five starts since being claimed for $35,000 by trainer Ruben Gracida last fall.

Scraps, winner of the 2019 Bear's Den, Hero Up, Sassy But Smart and Venezuelan Hug complete the field.

Homebreds Quinoa Tifah and Sweet Souper Sweet, both exiting stakes wins on different surfaces, will get the chance to match that feat on the grass when they square off in Saturday's $60,000 Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Arindel's Quinoa Tifah will be stretching out to her longest distance yet, having most recently won the seven-furlong Our Dear Peggy by three lengths in front-running fashion Sept. 26 at Gulfstream Park, a race originally carded for the grass but contested over a sloppy and sealed main track. The Gemologist filly broke her maiden on the dirt in April and was fifth in the 5 ½-furlong Bolton Landing in her turf debut Aug. 19 at Saratoga.

The Bolton Landing was also the lone turf start for Live Oak Plantation's Sweet Souper Sweet, who finished sixth. The daughter of First Samurai is unbeaten in two starts on the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs, breaking her maiden June 27 and sprinting to a 2 ¼-length victory in the 6 ½-furlong Presque Isle Debutante Oct. 5.

Also coming off a victory is Palm Beach Racing Partnership's Viva La Reina, who put away her foes early and kept on for a 1 ¼-length maiden special weight triumph Oct. 17 at Gulfstream West, a race moved from the turf to a fast main track. Samy Camacho, up for that start, gets the return call from Post 1.

“I was actually impressed with the way she handled the dirt that day. I knew she had talent because she worked amazing from the gate and on the dirt, but the distance was a little bit challenging going seven-eighths for the first time,” trainer Carlos David said. “She pulled it off and she did it going away, so I was very impressed by that. And I'm thinking she's going to be even better on the turf and with the mile.”

Viva La Reina has breezed over the turf course at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, since her maiden score. She is by Animal Kingdom, winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby (G1) and 2013 Dubai World Cup and runner-up in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).

“If I were to enter her in a race going six furlongs on the dirt, I think she would have been impressive anyway and she would have gotten a better number,” David said. “So, we're going to give her this race on the grass because she's well-bred for it and I think she can handle the distance.”

Also entered are Beach Chick, Double Blessed, Emirates Affair, Inthewinnerscircle, Special Inclusion, Tantalizing Gal and Yafa.

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