Accelerate, West Coast ready for battle in Awesome Again Stakes

America’s top-rated older horse, Accelerate, and last year’s Eclipse Champion 3-year-old, West Coast, are set to face off at a mile and one eighth in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita. One of four Grade I, Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Races on Saturday, the winner of the Awesome Again, which attracted a field of six 3-year-olds and up, will earn a fees-paid berth into the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

 

Trained by John Sadler and a winner of three Grade 1 stakes (all at a mile and a quarter) this year, including a record setting 12 ½-length score in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 18 at Del Mar, Accelerate is the early favorite to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

 

Bob Baffert’s West Coast, idle since running second in the Dubai World Cup March 31, broke his maiden in his second start at Santa Anita in March, 2017 and counts the Grade I Travers Stakes in 2017 as his biggest career win.

 

 

Owner: Hronis Racing, LLC                                                       

 Trainer: John Sadler

 

A 5-year-old by Lookin At Lucky, he has truly flourished as an older horse, evidenced by his four graded stakes scores this year: The Grade 2 San Pasqual here on Feb. 3, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 10, the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita May 26 and the afore mentioned Grade 1 Pacific Classic Aug. 18.  With regular rider Victor Espinoza going to the sidelines due to injury in July, eastern-based Joel Rosario was aboard for the first time in his most recent start and will ride him back on Saturday.  With a lifetime mark of 20-8-5-5, Accelerate has earnings of $2,312,480 and is undoubtedly the horse to beat in the Awesome Again. 

 

Owner: Gary & Mary West                                                     

Trainer: Bob Baffert

 

Although West Coast is idle since running second in the Dubai World Cup March 31, Baffert has proven time and again that he can win races of this magnitude off of works alone, evidenced by McKinzie’s score in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. A winner of five consecutive races last year, culminating in rousing Grade 1 tallies in the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby, West Coast was subsequently a close third behind eventual Horse of the Year Gun Runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and was second to Gun Runner again in this year’s Pegasus World Cup Invitational, a race in which he earned a career-top 117 Beyer Speed figure. By Flatter, out of the Honour and Glory mare Caressing, West Coast will be reunited with Mike Smith, who hasn’t ridden him since his last win, which came four starts back in the Pennsylvania Derby. 

AWESOME AGAIN STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

 

Race 11 of 12. Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT. 

 

1. Shades of Victory—Martin Pedroza—121

2. Isotherm—Geovanni Franco—121

3. Prime Attraction—Kent Desormeaux—121

4. The Lieutenant—Flavien Prat—121

5. West Coast—Mike Smith—123

6, Accelerate—Joel Rosario—125

 

Special early first post time for Saturday’s 12-race program is at 12 noon.