Head to Head: Handicapping the 2023 Awesome Again Stakes
Santa Anita’s $300,000 Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes, to be contested at 1 1/8-mile, attracted a field of nine. The Awesome Again serves as a win and-you’re-in race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and will award the winner a fees-paid automatic berth in the starting gate at the Great Race Place in November.
Led by last year’s winner Defunded, the Awesome Again features a familiar cast. Six of the nine entrants last faced each other in the Pacific Classic (G1) earlier this month. That race saw the talented pair of sophomores in Arabian Knight and Geaux Rocket Ride take the top two spots with Slow Down Andy completing the trifecta.
The Awesome Again has been a key race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Accelerate in 2018 and Mucho Macho Man in 2013 both completed the double since 2010. In that same time frame, Awesome Again winners Medina Spirit in 2021, Improbable in 2020, California Chrome in 2016, and Game On Dude in 2011 all finished second in the Classic.
The Awesome Again is carded as race 8 on the ten race card with post time set for 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Laurie Ross of Pedigree Power and Ashley Tamulonis of Coast To Coast determine who is awesome and who needs to try again.
Laurie | Ashley |
| Senor Buscador made a late move and passed tired horses to grab fourth place in the Pacific Classic, finishing a length behind third-place finisher Slow Down Andy. Although the Todd Fincher trainee closed to beat that rival in the 1 1 1/16 mile San Diego Handicap (G2), Senor Buscador is at his best as a pace presser and at shorter distances. Still, he could grind up for a lower exotics placing, especially if he can get a rail trip. Exotics play. | Despite his win in the San Diego Handicap (G2) with a field/career-best 115 Equibase speed figure two starts back, I did not like Senor Buscador in the Pacific Classic (G1). He actually finished better than I anticipated, filling out the superfecta. The son of Mineshaft didn’t hit the board in his previous two attempts at the Awesome Again distance of 1 1/8 miles. I agree with Laurie that he’s better at shorter distances. He’s also very hit or miss. He either wins or doesn’t hit the board for the most part. Geovanni Franco retains the mount for trainer Todd Fincher. Pass. |
| 2. Defunded | |
| Defending Awesome Again Stakes hero Defunded has been off form in his last two races, arguably the worst of his career. The Bob Baffert trainee has done his best work as a pacesetter, so, oddly, he was taken off the pace in his last two races. A return to his preferred running style could take Defunded all the way to the winner’s circle if he doesn’t tangle with his stablemate National Treasure. Defunded fired a pre-race bullet four-furlong work. He did it in hand, picked it up through the wire and galloped out on his own without being pushed. Contender. | Have we established that keeping Defunded off the pace failed? As Laurie stated, the Bob Baffert trainee turned in two of his worst career races in his last two starts while being kept off the pace. I wish I could look into my crystal ball and see what tactics Edwin Maldonado, who is replacing Juan Hernandez in the irons, will utilize. Should he turn the gelded son of Dialed In loose early, Defunded will be hard to beat. He’s only ever finished out of the exacta at 1 1/8-miles once in six starts. Contender. |
| Slow Down Andy was a little rank in his last two starts but still hit the board. The Doug O’Neil trainee is a polite horse. He backs off when challenged and lets others go first. Despite this trait, Slow Down Andy is remarkably consistent and usually picks up a check. Exotics play. | Slow Down Andy got a late start to his 2023 season but went hard early, contesting the Met Mile (G1) off a seven month layoff. He’s bounced back into good form since then, finishing second in the San Diego Handicap (G2) and third in the Pacific Classic (G1). The son of Nyquist is 4: 1-1-1 at the Awesome Again distance, and I feel like he’s due for a win. Contender. |
| 4. Skinner | |
| I’m still waiting for the promising Skinner to break through with a graded victory. He’s come close, but typical of the Smart Strike sire line, Skinner is a one-paced grinder who looks good while passing other horses. The John Shirreffs trainee earned a career-best 101 Brisnet speed rating in the Pacific Classic, where he closed for a distant fifth place. Mike Smith jumps back on, and if there’s a decent early pace, Skinner should pick up a decent paycheck. Exotics play. | Like Laurie, I’m waiting for Skinner’s breakthrough graded win. While he didn’t have a strong juvenile season, he has consistently hit the board all year except when running fifth last out in the Pacific Classic (G1). The Curlin colt moved into fourth in the stretch of the Pacific Classic but ultimately lost that placing when Senor Buscador passed him. I liked him as an exotics play last out, but this time I will pass. |
| Bye Bye Bobby showed a new dimension in the Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2). The pretty gray horse was outrun early, lagging 15 lengths behind the blazing early pace at one point. After internal fractions of 21.49 and 44.44 seconds, and 1:09.66, the field was staggering home in the final furlong, except for Bye Bye Bobby. He flew down the stretch to grab second place, just three-quarters of a length from victory. The Todd Fincher trainee won’t face those fractions in the Awesome Again, but the 4-year-old is worth considering for the exotics. | Bye Bye Bobby is an interesting one. Two starts back he finished third in the 1 1/2-mile Cougar II Stakes, but he cut back to 7 furlongs last out in the Pat O’Brien (G2), just missing the win by three-quarters of a length at 33-1 odds. He arguably faces a tougher group than he did in his last two graded outings, though. Drayden Van Dyke, who has been on a bit of a cold streak in the last 30 days, retains the mount for trainer Todd Fincher. Pass. |
| Celestial Moon struggled on the East Coast but won an optional claiming event at Del Mar in his first start for Mark Glatt. The only class in the field was the Grade 1-placed miler Restrainedvengence, who, as an 8-year-old, had clearly lost a step. Back to Celestial Moon, his speed ratings aren’t all that hot, and this is an ambitious placing, so I’ll pass. | Celestial Moon hasn’t faced much of anything in his career, though he has run consistently well since being switched to dirt. He recorded a career-best 104 Equibase speed figure last out in his first start for Mark Glatt. Antonio Fresu replaces Edwin Maldonado, who will be aboard Defunded. I concur with Laurie that this is an ambitious placing. Pass. |
| Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure proved to be no match for the best 3-year-olds in the country in the Belmont and Travers Stakes. So the Bob Baffert trainee cuts back in distance and will run with the hood for a shot against older horses. National Treasure only wins when he’s on the lead, and it will be interesting to see if he can get away with slow fractions. He’ll need to because his Brisnet late-pace figures are low overall. Contender. | I’m firmly of the opinion that National Treasure’s Preakness win was a fluke. The Quality Road colt had things all his own way on the lead that day and came away with what was just his second career win. Prior to the Preakness, National Treasure could be counted on to fill out the exotics, but he’s failed to hit the board in his last two starts, finishing sixth in the Belmont Stakes and fifth in the Travers (G1). If stablemate Defunded reverts back to his preferred front-running style, National Treasure won’t get an uncontested lead, which will hinder his win chances. Add in that this will be his first start against elders. Exotics. |
| 8. Piroli | |
| Piroli surprised with a second-place finish in May’s Santa Anita Gold Cup (G1) against a weak field. A race later, he was bested by optional claimers, and then the Mike McCarthy trainee showed moderate speed before backing up to seventh place, beaten 10 lengths in the Pacific Classic. Not inspiring. Pass. | I liked Piroli as a live longshot in the Pacific Classic (G1) based on his performance against Defunded in the Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1), but he didn’t show the same form against a field that was saltier than he’d faced in May. This will be the son of Battle of Midway’s first attempt at 1 1/8-mile. Umberto Rispoli takes over for Antonio Fresu. Since he faces many of the same rivals he saw at Del Mar last out, I’m not going to try to play him again. Pass. |
| 9. Stilleto Boy | |
| Stilleto Boy lost all hope at the start of the Pacific Classic when he swerved right coming out of the gate, almost losing Kent Desormeaux. Stilleto Boy never got into the race and was 15 lengths out of it by the one-mile pole and fading fast. Desormeaux wisely pulled him up to fight another day. The Ed Moger Jr. trainee has hit the board in six of seven starts at Santa Anita, but while he’s hit the board in five of six starts at 1 1/8 miles, he’s won only once, making him an Exotics play. | I think it’s safe to say that Stilleto Boy doesn’t like the Pacific Classic (G1). While he was pulled up this year, he was a well-beaten sixth in that same race last year. He also didn’t seem to like the Ellis Park track when he shipped east to contest the Stephen Foster (G1), finishing sixth. Aside from that, the son of Shackleford can be counted on to fill out the superfecta most of the time. Kent Desormeaux retains the mount for trainer Ed Moger Jr. Exotics. |
Final thoughts
Laurie: Seven of the last dozen Awesome Again winners hit the board in their final prep, including four in the Pacific Classic. Favorites have won or placed in 10 of the last 12 running. Also, there’s no preferred running style. In the last seven years, pacesetters have won four times and closers three. Oh, and Bob Baffert has won seven of the last 13 editions of the race, including the last three.
As is the case with most stakes for older horses, we have a limited field that takes turns beating each other. There are a few new faces; the most exciting is National Treasure. He could be lone speed, and Juan Hernandez dominates the jockey colony, winning dirt routes at a 30 percent clip over the last year. And, well, it’s Baffert in California.
Speaking of Baffert, if Defunded gets back to his pacesetting ways, the Baffert horses could wear each other out on the lead. That would blast the race wide open and set it up for Stilleto Boy, Skinner, Bye Bye Bobby (which would be hilariously ironic), or even Senor Buscador.
I’m taking the gamble that Defunded will get back to his winning ways. Although 3-year-olds have won this race in the past, they were special. Medina Spirit and Shared Belief were the most recent to do it. National Treasure may develop into a decent older horse, but he’s not there yet.
Ashley: Baffert holds a pair of front-runners in Defunded and National Treasure, but what he chooses to do with Defunded will be key. If Defunded is allowed to go early, then the stablemates could soften each other up on the front end. If Baffert has Maldonado hold Defunded off the pace, then National Treasure could steal it on the front end. Of course, Stilleto Boy could be a part of the early pace, too.
I am going to go out on a limb and say that Baffert and Maldonado will have Defunded back on the pace in order to give him his best shot at winning. That would spell trouble for National Treasure, but you can’t run two pacesetters against each other and have them both win.
Slow Down Andy has run really well in his last two outings, and I really do feel like he’s due for a win. He looked like a winner in the San Diego Handicap, but Senor Buscador pulled a winning effort out of the hat that day. Then he was the best of the older runners against the talented 3-year-old duo of Arabian Knight and Geaux Rocket Ride in the Pacific Classic.
Stilleto Boy always runs his race, and I think returning to California may be just the ticket for National Treasure. I don’t think the 3-year-old is good enough to win this, but I think we’ll see a better finish from him here than we’ve seen in his last two starts on the East Coast.
Selections
| Laurie | Ashley |
| 2. Defunded | 3. Slow Down Andy |
| 9. Stilleto Boy | 2. Defunded |
| 4. Skinner | 9. Stilleto Boy |
| 3. Slow Down Andy | 7. National Treasure |