Santa Anita news: Accelerate gearing up for Awesome Again
Southern California fixture John Sadler hopes to continue his successful run in the Golden State when Santa Anita begins its 22-day Autumn Meet next Friday, Sept. 28.
The 62-year-old trainer, a native of Long Beach, has a plethora of horses ready for opening weekend’s stakes races, headed by Horse of the Year candidate Accelerate in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles.
It is one of five Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” events opening weekend that provides a fees paid berth to the winner for their respective Breeders’ Cup races Nov. 3 and 4.
“We had a great summer at Del Mar and we’re very happy about that,” said Sadler, who sent out Accelerate to capture the Pacific Classic by more than a dozen lengths under Joel Rosario, who will be back aboard for the Awesome Again.
Accelerate, a five-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky owned by Sadler’s principal clients, Kosta and Peter Hronis, is scheduled to work 6:30 Saturday morning for the Awesome Again.
Even though the winner won’t be announced for three months, a question on the tip of every racing fan’s tongue is: Who will be Horse of the Year, the retired Justify, only the second undefeated Triple Crown winner in history, or perhaps Accelerate, should he go on to capture the Awesome Again and the Breeders’ Cup Classic?
With a vested interested obvious, Sadler laughed and said, “I’ll vote for Accelerate,” adding in a more serious vein, “That’s a tough call.”
FINISH LINES: Elliott Walden, president, CEO and racing manager of WinStar Farm, was a visitor at Clockers’ Corner on Thursday morning. “We’re just checking over some 2-year-olds here with Bob (Baffert),” Walden said, adding they hold some breeding shares to undefeated Triple Crown king Justify (now at Ashford Stud in Kentucky), “and we’re looking forward to that. We don’t have any mares lined up but we’re getting ready to start next month, and we can’t wait to figure it out. We’re excited.” . . . .Champion West Coast and Ax Man each worked six furlongs in company for Baffert Thursday morning in a bullet 1:12.60 handily from the gate . . . Venerable Hoppertunity, earner of more than $4 million, also worked for Baffert, going five furlongs in 1:01.20 . . . Thom Mitchell, a clocker for the past 16 years, has turned in his stop watch to become a first-time agent, representing jockey Martin Garcia. “I’ve had his book since Del Mar ended,” Mitchell said. “We’re looking forward to a good meet.”