Is the Awesome Again Bayern's Last Stand?

Yet to find the winner's circle so far in his 4-year-old campaign, the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 26 may be Bayern's last hurrah.



But if a return to glory is in the cards for the Kaleem Shah-owned Offlee Wild   colt, he's literally on the right track.



Returning to Santa Anita Park for the Awesome Again may be crucial for the speedy Bayern, who tired and finished ninth last time out in the TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I), which followed his best finish of 2015, when third in the San Diego Handicap (gr. II) at Del Mar. He's 3-for-3 at Santa Anita, including his controversial win in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I).



Although he's struggled during races this year, trainer Bob Baffert said Bayern is training well over Santa Anita's dirt surface and never really took to Del Mar's main track during the summer. His most recent work came Sept. 21 at the Arcadia, Calif. track, when he covered five furlongs in :59 1/5, the second-fastest of 61 at the distance that day.



"He had trouble with the surface at Del Mar," Baffert said. "Some horses, they just have trouble with certain surfaces, but he's trained well here and he's looked well. We're not seeing anything (specifically) that he's not doing. He's rounding out into form."



When asked whether another off-the-board finish would lead to retirement for Bayern, Baffert had a wait-and-see outlook, but emphasized the importance of the colt running a good race.



"We're just going to see how he does," Baffert said. "He needs to run well, though. He needs to run well and he should. He's still a very good horse."



Also in Bayern's favor is the lack of speed in the race. Known for his all-or-nothing running style, there isn't a horse—on paper—that should be able to challenge the speedy colt on the front end, but there is still plenty of class present in the eight-horse field.



Grade I winners Hard Aces and Hoppertunity are also exiting the Pacific Classic, where they finished fourth and sixth, respectively, as is grade II winner Imperative, who split the two in fifth. 



Grade II winner (on turf) Global View, graded stakes-placed Sammy Mandeville, stakes winner Point Piper, and lightly raced allowance winner Smooth Roller complete the field for the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Hard Aces already has an automatic bid to the Classic, after besting Hoppertunity by a nose in the Gold Cup (gr. I) in June.