Something Awesome has never been better at age seven, and proved that again Saturday by winning a stretch battle over second choice War Story by a neck in the $1,150,000 Charles Town Classic (G2).
Indeed, the gelded son of Awesome Again has been nearly unbeatable since moving from the Woodbine base of Daniel Vella to the Laurel-based Jose Corrales last fall. The Charles Town Classic was the fifth win in six starts for Something Awesome under Corrales’ tutelage.
Teamed up with veteran Hall of Famer Edgar Prado, Something Awesome alternately between fifth and sixth through the first six furlongs while no more than four lengths behind Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Diversify, who set early fractions of :24.34 and :48.48. However, that 6-5 favorite began to weaken under pressure from Afleet Willy and was a spent force approaching the third and final turn.
At the top of the short stretch, a three-way battle ensued with War Story in between Afleet Willy on the inside and Something Awesome on the outside. The latter was up a head with a furlong to go and stayed on top to the wire as Afleet Willy yielded third place late to Fear the Cowboy, who was a length behind War Story.
A homebred racing for Stronach Stable, Something Awesome covered 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:50.84 and paid $20.60. Finishing fifth was You’re to Blame, who was followed by Discreet Lover and Diversify, who crossed the wire 26 lengths behind the winner.
Something Awesome captured a pair of six-furlong allowances in his first two outings for Corrales, then was a rallying third in the $100,000 Fire Plug on January 20. He rebounded to take the seven-furlong General George (G3) by a neck, then won the $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memroial over nine furlongs by 2 1/4 lengths last time. His career mark now reads 24-9-2-6, $1,082,051.
Bred in Ontario, Something Awesome is the lone stakes winner produced by multiple Grade 2 scorer Somethinaboutlaura, by Dance Floor.
