Lieblong Spends For Another Saver

Alex Lieblong has enjoyed the early first-crop success of Super Saver more than most. The Arkansas native owns GII Saratoga Special S. winner I Spent It (Super Saver), as well as Saratoga maiden winner High Dollar Woman (Super Saver). Lieblong went back to the Super Saver well Saturday at Keeneland, spending $575,000 for a daughter of the 2010 GI Kentucky Derby winner. 

“I’ve had a little luck with him,” Lieblong chuckled after signing the ticket on hip 955. “I have I Spent It and High Dollar Woman, so they kind of got me hooked. She’s a nice filly, though. She is actually as nice looking as the ones I already have and they’ve been very honest horses. Super Saver has treated me good so far.” 

In addition to I Spent It, Alex and Joann Lieblong’s impressive Saratoga meet also included The Big Beast (Yes It’s True)’s win in the GI King’s Bishop S. Alex Lieblong admitted the graded stakes wins have made for a memorable year, but he was still circumspect with his Keeneland purchases. 

“The Beast and I Spent It have made this year more fun than some,” he commented when asked if his racetrack successes led to a more bullish approach at the sales. “But I just watched one run third a while ago, so that keeps you humble.” 

However, Lieblong admitted he was past his limit when he bid $575,000 on Saturday’s Super Saver yearling. 
“I think if this one runs the way she looks, I’d probably have to pay more for her at the 2-year-olds in training sale,” he explained. “But I overpaid.” 

Lieblong has made four purchases so far at the September sale. He paid $425,000 for a colt by Arch (hip 126) and $500,000 for a filly by Giant’s Causeway (hip 381). Just moments after signing for the Super Saver filly, Lieblong purchased a colt by Uncle Mo (hip 965) for $225,000. 

“The good ones are going for good prices,” he said. “There is competition for the good ones.”

The Super Saver yearling was consigned by Allied Bloodstock as agent for Bill Witman, who purchased the filly for $100,000 as a weanling at the 2013 Keeneland November sale. Allied Bloodstock’s Bert Welker acknowledged Super Saver’s strong start at stud was fortuitious for the pinhooking venture. 

“It was the perfect storm,” Welker said. “It was a pinhook and [Witman] stepped up to the plate on an unproven stallion at the time and he got rewarded. And rightfully so.” 

The yearling is out of Touch Me Once (Touch Gold) and is a half-sister to stakes placed Gold Megillah (Purim). Her second dam is graded stakes winner Theresa the Teacha (Cure the Blues). -JM