Betting the Awesome Again on a Budget
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Global View could spring the upset in Saturday's Awesome Again Stakes in only his second dirt effort. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
One of the eight contenders in Saturday’s $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita Park will punch their ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic via the race's Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win And You’re In” designation. Meanwhile, we will try and cash a ticket or two with the race. The field has drawn a number of talented West Coast stalwarts, including the likes of 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic victor Bayern, Hoppertunity, and Global View.
The name of this race is going to be who can chase down Bayern (#8). No other horse has shown a penchant for or the ability to set the pace. Barring some sort of unlucky, bad break, Bayern will go to the lead and stay there until the stretch run. At which point, two things can happen: he carries that lead through the finish line or he is chased down by one his foes.
Therefore, my strategy will consist of a trifecta part-wheel with Bayern on top, and one trifecta part-wheel with another potential winner in that slot. Both of these should give the chance for a solid score, with fair amount of risk tolerance.
Global View (4) has a good chance to play the role of the stalker who cruises past Bayern in the stretch to steal a win. The classy colt recently made the switch to dirt last out, following a consistent but lackluster two years competing on the turf. All indications are that he has taken a liking to the new surface with a second in a debut on the dirt at Del Mar and a bullet four-furlong workout over Santa Anita’s surface on Tuesday. This is his first effort at 1 1/8 miles, but distance should not be an issue.
Rounding out the bottom of my trifectas will be Hard Aces (1) and Hoppertunity (5). Hard Aces could be sitting on a big race, but I’m not wild about him at this 1 1/8-mile distance. The deep closer seems better suited for a 1 ¼-mile route. I expect Hard Aces to make a late charge with Global View for a respectable finish.
Hoppertunity is a hard-trying 4-year-old who has a knack for knocking on the door of marquee stakes races, but he has yet to follow-up his eye-popping win in last year’s Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. Nonetheless, he should be a must-have in any of your exotics.
Betting on a Budget Strategy
$1 Trifecta: 8,4/1,2,3,4,5,6,7/1,5 ($22)
$300,000 Awesome Again StakesSaturday, Santa Anita Park, Race 10, 8 p.m. ET1 1/8 miles, dirt, 3-year-olds and older
PP
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owners
Odds
1
Hard Aces
Victor Espinoza
John Sadler
Hronis Racing
4-1
2
Sammy Mandeville
Rafael Bejarano
Doug O'Neill
W. C. Racing
10-1
3
Point Piper
Mario Gutierrez
Jerry Hollendorfer
Gatto Racing, Jusso or Schlaich, et al
8-1
4
Global View
Drayden Van Dyke
Tom Proctor
Glen Hill Farm
12-1
5
Hoppertunity
Mike Smith
Bob Baffert
Pegram, Watson or Weitman
3-1
6
Imperative
Corey Nakatani
Richard Baltas
KM Racing Enterprise
6-1
7
Smooth Roller
Tyler Baze
Victor Garcia
Lucky Charm Stable
6-1
8
Bayern
Martin Garcia
Bob Baffert
Kaleem Shah
5-2