Awesome Again S.

Last fall's GI Awesome Again S. winner Slow Down Andy (Nyquist--Edwina E, by Square Eddie) has reportedly suffered a sesamoid injury and has been retired from racing, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. The announcement was attributed to trainer Doug O'Neill, who also said the 5-year-old could possibly stand at stud this year. A homebred for Paul and Zillah Reddam's Reddam Racing LLC, Slow Down Andy defeated Defunded (Dialed In) and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft)--both set to contest the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup on Saturday--in the Awesome Again but...

Slow Down Andy (Nyquist), front-running winner of Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita, will miss the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. Although he was sound following the Awesome Again, the 4-year-old came out of the race with some filling in his ankle and will get 60 days off. The Awesome Again was Slow Down Andy's first Grade I win and earned him a paid berth into the Classic as it was a "Win and You're In" race. He got...

There are but five weeks remaining between now and the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland Nov. 4 and 5, and many of horse racing's biggest names will take in their final prep races over the course of the next couple of weekends. Better than 40 graded stakes, the majority of which have championship weekend implications, are set to take place from sea to shining sea, including 21 'Win and You're In' events offering the winners an all-expenses paid trip to the Bluegrass. Santa Anita stages one of the four Breeders' Cup...

The 18-day Autumn meet at Santa Anita will feature a total of 26 stakes races, including five 'Win and You're In' qualifying races for the 2022 Breeders' Cup to be held at Keeneland Nov. 4 and 5. Fifteen of the stakes are contested at the graded level. The meet begins Friday, Sept. 30 and the opening weekend is set to be highlighted by 11 of the stakes races, seven of which are graded. The Saturday, Oct. 1 program includes the GI Awesome Again S. (WAYI) for older handicappers headed towards...

A total of 21 added-money events, 12 at the graded level, have been scheduled for the autumn meeting at Santa Anita Park, set for Oct. 1-31. Fully one-third of the stakes races serve as 'Win and You're In' races for the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held Nov. 6 and 7 at Del Mar. The opening day of the meet features the GI American Pharoah S. for the 2-year-old males at a mile and a sixteenth, the corresponding 2-year-old filly race--the GI Chandelier S.--and the $100,000 Speakeasy S. for...

The lesser-fancied of the Bob Baffert-trained duo, 'TDN Rising Star' Improbable (City Zip) was uncustomarily taken well off a fast early pace, began to hit his best stride while wide on the second turn, inhaled the leading group in upper stretch and rolled home to defeat odds-on Maximum Security (New Year's Day) by 4 1/2 lengths in the GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita. Though he hadn't been more than two lengths off the early pace in any of his last four races, Improbable was taken back to last...

All eyes will be on Santa Anita for their opening weekend feature in the GI Awesome Again S. as Bob Baffert trainees Maximum Security (New Year's Day) and Improbable (City Zip) go head to head for the first time since that consequential first Saturday in May last year. The $300,000 Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" contest could mark the emergence of an unusual stablemate rivalry. Over two decades ago, the race's namesake was part of a different rivalry-- one for 1998 Horse of the Year. Awesome Again had gone...

With its original start date delayed due to air quality concerns related to the Bobcat Fire, Santa Anita Park announced a revised Autumn Meet Stakes Schedule, which kicks off Sept. 25 and offering a total of 12 stakes--11 graded--and seven of them Breeders' Cup "Win & You're In" Challenge Race qualifiers.  Santa Anita's complete Autumn Meet Stakes Schedule is available at www.santaanita.com/stakes-schedule/. Among Saturday's races are the GI Awesome Again S., GI Rodeo Drive S., GI American Pharoah S. and the GII Chandelier S. and the Speakeasy S., all of...

Stablemates Maximum Security (New Year's Day) and 'TDN Rising Star' Improbable (City Zip) will face one another in Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert has confirmed. Baffert had earlier discussed shipping Maximum Security to New York for the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, but instead will race him this weekend in his own backyard. Via text, Baffert said he thought the race was a good fit for both horses because he likes the spacing and the fact that no one has to ship. The Jockey...