A Southern California-based Grade 1 winner by Awesome Again was widely
expected to capture Monday’s $300,000
Lone
Star Park H. (G3). The marquee event on the Memorial Day card did in fact go
to a horse of that profile — but with a twist. It was not the 1-2 favorite and
Santa Anita H. (G1) hero Game on Dude (Awesome Again), but rather West Point
Thoroughbreds’ AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again), who hadn’t won since his career-high
in last summer’s Hollywood Gold Cup (G1).
The eight-year-old gelding rallied down the stretch to outfinish a weakening
Game on Dude, and rewarded his loyalists with $12.40, $4.60 and $2.80 as the 5-1
third choice in the five-horse field. Game on Dude couldn’t salvage runner-up
honors, for Flat Out (Flatter) was along late to relegate the odds-on choice to
third.
Trained by Craig Dollase, Awesome Gem was sixth in the April 16 Charles Town
Classic (G3) two back, a little more than two lengths behind runner-up Game on
Dude. But the veteran signaled that he was rounding into form next time out in
the May 6 Alysheba S. (G3) at Churchill Downs, where he was beaten a grand total
of a half-length in fourth.
Awesome Gem picked up a new pilot in Robby Albarado Monday, and was more
forwardly placed than usual. As Lydia’s Last Step (Spanish Steps) was prompted
by Game on Dude through fractions of :24 2/5, :47 4/5 and 1:11 1/5, Awesome Gem
was steadily improving his position until he was just a couple of heads apart
from the leader.
Game on Dude launched his bid on the far turn, but didn’t appear to be
traveling as well as the elder statesman. That became ever clearer as they raced
into the final furlong. Awesome Gem’s momentum carried him to the front, and he
rolled to a one-length victory in a final time of 1:43 2/5 for 1 1/16 miles on
the fast track. Flat Out overtook Game on Dude by 1 1/4 lengths, while Lydia’s
Last Step faded to fourth and Thiskyhasnolimit (Sky Mesa) trailed.
Awesome Gem has bankrolled $2,508,270 from his 43-8-13-5 line, showing great
versatility in graded stakes coast-to-coast on dirt, turf and synthetic. He was
earning his fourth career stakes victory, following the 2007 San Fernando (G2),
2009 Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) and the aforementioned Hollywood Gold Cup.
The veteran was making a return trip for the Lone Star Park ‘Cap, having
finished a distant second to Redding Colliery (Mineshaft) here a year ago. That
is just one of his 13 career runner-up finishes, including the 2007 Pacific
Classic (G1) and Goodwood S. (G1) and the 2009 Eddie Read (G1). His most notable
third-place effort came in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
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. He was produced
from the unraced Piano (Pentelicus), a half-sister to multiple Grade 2 queen J
J’sdream (Glitterman). Piano has also produced an unnamed yearling colt by Scat
Daddy and a 2011 filly by More Than Ready. 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.