Versatile Awesome Flower Set for Sixty Sails

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's versatile Awesome Flower appears the one to beat in the $150,000 Sixty Sails Handicap (gr. III) from Hawthorne Race Course on April 18.

Having won three of four starts this year for trainer Mike Maker, the 6-year-old mare by Flower Alley was made the even-money morning-line favorite in the mile-and-an-eighth dirt race. Awesome Flower has won on dirt, turf, and synthetic surfaces this year.

An 11-time winner who has secured more than $500,000 in her career, the multiple graded stakes-placed mare began the year taking the Wintergreen Stakes on the Polytrack at Turfway Park on Jan. 3 before finishing third in the Florida Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 17.

She returned a month later to take the Wayward Lass Stakes on Feb. 14 on the dirt at Tampa Bay Downs before easily taking a starter optional claiming race on the grass at Gulfstream on March 27 by 4 3/4 lengths.

Awesome Flower drew post two in the five-horse field and will be ridden by Miguel Mena. In the Sixty Sails, Awesome Flower will carry 118 pounds as the starting co-highweight along with Yahilwa, who will break from the rail under jockey Elvis Trujillo.

Yahilwa invades from California for trainer James Cassidy and owner D. R. Racing after finishing off the board in her past two starts: the Bayakoa Stakes (gr. II) at Los Alamitos Dec. 6 and a seventh-place finish in the Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 14 at Santa Anita Park.

Prior to those off-the-board efforts, Yahilwa won her prior two starts, taking the Treasure Chest Stakes Nov. 22 at Delta Downs and scoring in an allowance-optional claiming race Oct. 29 at Santa Anita.

Both Awesome Flower and Yahilwa will be seeking their first graded stakes victory in the Sixty Sails.

Maker also will saddle Ketel Twist in the Sixty Sails. The 4-year-old filly owned by Bed Rock Stables enters the Sixty Sails seeking her third straight score after taking two allowance races at Turfway Park. Ketel Twist drew post five and will be ridden by Albin Jimenez, carrying just 113 pounds as the 6-1 fourth-choice in the wagering.

Barry K. Schwartz's Parc Monceau may be the one to catch in the Sixty Sails. A winner of five starts with earnings over $230,000, Parc Monceau wired the field in her 2015 debut in the El Dorado Stakes at Delta Downs on Jan. 16 before settling for second best in the Gold Coast Stakes from Delta on March 13.

Parc Monceau will break from post three and carry 117 pounds including jockey Florent Geroux.

Completing the field of five is the Pennsylvania-bred Sea Shadow, who will break from post four under jockey Anthony Stephen having won four of her last five starts.