Awesome Again Stakes – Grade I [BC]
SA Race #7 1 1/8m Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $300.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward.

The winners of this race have done pretty well in the BC Classic in the past so we have to add the winner to the list of big chances for what looks like the best BC Classic we have had for years.
So what do we make of this three way photo finish? Well as we have seen so often the front runner just lasted and lasted and lasted to the point where he had the race won everywhere but right on the line. But who of course was lurking with two horses getting the runs whilst others were jostling about in behind, yes, of course, it was Mb Stables. There were plenty of hard luck stories here, many were blocked and weaved and blocked again, some were given the notorious slow start which of course at this level spells defeat but there were two horses enjoying their draw and a rails run. To be fair to the eventual winner he didn’t have a trouble free run but when he need the gap it came and he produced a thrilling finish.

Here is how the first four finished:

1st Sensei Mb Stables Silvera Ru

This horse is such an enigma. When he won the DMR Derby it looked like he was about to fulfill the promise he had shown in his two and early three year old career but then he went so far off the boil his owner Saratoga Stud let him go for just $75. It wasn’t immediately apparent that being in the magical Mb Stables yard had turned him around but after two far more consistent efforts in The Suburban and The JC Gold Cup he did look like some kinks had been ironed out. Today he had a great draw which allowed him a trouble free start and a comfortable early transit but for a few moments when he got carted back by a weakening stalker it looked like once again he would falter. However he flipped out of the pocket forcing others wide in good time and started a trouble free run which would eventually see him grab the win right on the line.
This was a huge effort by this horse and the way he finished today you would have to give him a live chance in the big dance.


2nd Sexy Back Night Rider Stables Espinoza V

You have to feel for him a bit, this was a very brave effort and what turned out to be a great decision by the trainer. This horse is NOT a noted front runner but we all know that this game has little to do with what they horse naturally does and more to do with getting the draw and the race engine to respond favorably to instructions. Whether it was an inspired instruction choice or just plain luck this five year old went to the front and whilst everything else was arguing and bumping into each other he was running his own race out in front. I though he had got it everywhere but the line but in the end he was caught for an agonizing defeat.


3rd Quality Art Mb Stables Maldonado E

Everything went right for this four year old to the point i was convinced he would be the horse from the stable to take the win. A perfect trouble free trip it looked like he would never launch his challenge but he was grinding out a run at the leader when his stable mate flew by on the line. Another day he would win, another day he may have been in the mess in behind so it is hard to assess him against the first two but he wont get a much better chance than this to take a grade one and he just didn’t have that final lift at the end.


4th First Sargeant High Voltage Rispoli U

He won the ‘other’ race that was going on in behind the first three as the AI for everything else seemed convinced that the right thing to do was let the first group race whilst the rest farted about in behind. He did pretty well to be fourth and another day and a different race he could well have been in the photo finish because he finished off just as well as the top three.

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES