The last time West Point Thoroughbreds’ AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again) had
encountered an off-dirt track, he outran his 28-1 price when finishing a distant
third to Curlin in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Monmouth Park. Fast
forward nearly two years to Saturday’s $500,000
Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2), where Awesome Gem once again found himself running
in the goo. This time, however, the veteran was well received by the betting
public, starting as the 3-1 second choice in a field of 11.
Rating in seventh through the opening half-mile, jockey David Flores guided
Awesome Gem up the rail and into striking position in third down the
backside. Swinging out five-wide turning for home, Awesome Gem responded to
Flores’ urgings and wore down a determined Nite Light (Thunder Gulch) to win the
Gold Cup going away by 1 1/4 lengths.
In the process, Awesome Gem emulated his sire, Awesome Again, who captured
the Hawthorne Gold Cup when it was a Grade 3 event in 1998. Awesome Gem’s final time for 1 1/4 miles on a track
listed as muddy was 2:04 1/5. The payoffs were $8.40, $4.40 and $3.80.
Nite Light moved up into second approaching the half-mile point as
Shadowbdancing (Montbrook) reeled off early splits of :24, :48 3/5, 1:13 and
1:38 1/5, then took over from that one turning for home. His lead was
short-lived, however, as Awesome Gem had a much bigger run in him and easily
moved on past in the final furlong. Nite Light, at 7-1, easily held second by
two lengths and paid $6.40 and $5.20 while capping the $64.80 exacta. Going
Ballistic (Lite the Fuse), the 24-1 chance who still trailed the field after a
mile, rallied well to beat 5-2 favorite You and I Forever (A.P. Indy) by 1 1/2
lengths for the show and returned $10.20. The trifecta returned $1,108.80 and
the 3-6-11-9 superfecta was worth $5,157.
Following You and I Forever were Lowther Street (Street Cry [Ire]),
Shadowbdancing, Jonesboro (Sefapiano), Alcomo (Brz) (Rainbow Corner [GB]),
Stonehouse (Chester House), Eldaafer (A.P. Indy) and Brothers Nicholas (Smart
Strike).
Bred in Kentucky by Runnymede Farm, Catesby Clay and Peter Callahan, Awesome
Gem brought $150,000 as a Barretts March two-year-old in 2005. His lone stakes
win prior to the Gold Cup was in the 2007 San Fernando S. (G2), but the
six-year-old gelding has shown great versatility since then while placing in
graded stakes coast-to-coast on dirt, turf and synthetic. His more memorable
placings in 2007, in addition to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, were in the Pacific
Classic (G1) and Goodwood S. (G1). Earlier this year, Awesome Gem missed by a
length or less in the Eddie Read S. (G1), Longacres Mile (G3) and Berkeley S.
(G3). His record now stands at 31-6-11-3, $1,695,682.
Trained by Craig Dollase, Awesome Gem was produced from the unraced Piano (Pentelicus),
a half-sister to multiple Grade 2 queen J J’sdream (Glitterman). Piano has also
produced the unraced juvenile filly T. Swift (Tomahawk). Awesome Gem’s third
dam, Royal Ties (Distinctive), produced the Grade 2-winning On to Glory full
siblings Meritocrat and On to Royalty, the latter the dam of 1996 Preakness (G1)
winner Louis Quatorze (Sovereign Dancer) and 1997 Gazelle H. (G1) winner Royal
Indy (A.P. Indy). This is also the family of Grade 1 winner Wildcat Heir and his
multiple Grade 3-winning full sister Forest Heiress, both by Forest Wildcat.