The Grade I Awesome Again Stakes, named for the 1998 winner of the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, has lured a field of nine to do battle on Santa Anita’s main track this Saturday (Sept. 30).

The 2023 renewal of the $6 million BC Classic, which has the distinction of being America’s richest race, will be contested at 1 1/4 miles on the same Santa Anita main track Nov. 4.

From the rail out, the lineup for Saturday’s Awesome Again consists of Senor Buscador, Defunded, Slow Down Andy (pictured above), Skinner, Bye Bye Bobby, Celestial Moon, National Treasure, Piroli and Stilleto Boy.

Below are my Awesome Again Stakes selections:

1. Defunded
2. Slow Down Andy
3. Senor Buscador
4. Bye Bye Bobby

Defunded ran fourth in Del Mar’s Grade II San Diego Stakes on July 29, then sixth in the Grade I Pacific Classic there on Sept. 2 for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

Were those flat efforts because Defunded is off his game? Or were they because, unlike thousands of human beings, he doesn’t particularly like Del Mar? I am going to hope it’s the latter and pick the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Dialed In to win the Awesome Again, a race he led from start to finish in last year.

The evidence shows that Defunded prefers Santa Anita to Del Mar. He has finished first or second in seven of nine starts on Santa Anita’s main track. He’s won just two of seven starts with no seconds on Del Mar’s main track.

Earlier this year on Santa Anita’s main track, Defunded won the Grade II Californian at 1 1/8 miles and Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles.

Defunded posted Beyer Speed Figures of 95 and 87 in his two starts at the Del Mar summer meet. In his last six starts on Santa Anita’s main track going back to a 2022 win by him on May 8, he’s recorded Beyers of 100, 99, 99 (in last year’s Awesome Again), 96, 102 and 100.

By contrast, Slow Down Andy has only one triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure to his credit in 13 career starts. He recorded a 103 Beyer when third in last year’s Grade I BC Dirt Mile. His best Beyer on Santa Anita’s main track, a 96, came when he finished third to Defunded in last year’s Awesome Again.

I do expect Slow Down Andy to be a tough customer in this year’s Awesome Again. I like the way he’s coming into the race for trainer Doug O’Neill.

In his 2023 debut, Slow Down Andy finished sixth in the Grade I Met Mile on June 10. That was just way too tough of a race for him considering he had not raced since Nov. 5.

With the Met Mile under his belt, Slow Down Andy not surprisingly showed improvement when he finished second to Senor Buscador in Del Mar’s Grade II San Diego Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on July 29.

Slow Down Andy then stretched out to 1 1/4 miles in the Pacific Classic. I thought the 4-year-old California-bred Nyquist colt acquitted himself well, especially since I believe 1 1/4 miles might be a tad farther than he prefers to go.

In the Pacific Classic, Slow Down Andy loomed a serious threat turning for home. It appeared to me that he even headed Arabian Knight for an instant at the top of the lane. Slow Down Andy subsequently weakened slightly in the final furlong. Arabian Knight won by a neck over fellow 3-year-old Geaux Rocket Ride, while Slow Down Andy finished third when losing by a respectable 1 1/2 lengths.

I believe a return to a shorter 1 1/8-mile trip in the Awesome Again is going to suit Slow Down Andy after he was asked to go a furlong further in the Pacific Classic.

Senor Buscador unleashed a furious stretch charge to win the San Diego in a 13-1 upset while defeating Slow Down Andy by 1 1/4 lengths. Senor Buscador then ran a creditable fourth at 9-1 in the Pacific Classic when finishing one length behind third-place Slow Down Andy.

Bye Bye Bobby made my personal horses-to-watch list after closing with a rush to finish second at 33-1 to Anarchist in Del Mar’s Grade II Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 26. He galloped out in front.

I would have preferred to see Bye Bye Bobby show up in a race not as tough as the Awesome Again. Nevertheless, off that splendid try in his most recent start, I will not be surprised if Bye Bye Bobby finds his way into the Awesome Again superfecta at what could be a very nice price.

Baffert also is represented in the Awesome Again by 3-year-old National Treasure, who is running against his elders for the first time. It’s to National Treasure’s credit that he won this year’s Grade I Preakness Stakes, but his subsequent two performances left something to be desired. He finished sixth in the Grade I Belmont Stakes and fifth in the Grade I Travers Stakes.

One of the reasons I’m not picking National Treasure 1-2-3-4 in the Awesome Again is he’s winless in three starts on Santa Anita’s main track.

LONGINES BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC RANKINGS

Arcangelo, victorious in this year’s Grade I Belmont Stakes and Grade I Travers Stakes, again tops the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings this week. He will be attempting to extend his winning streak to five in the BC Classic.

No. 1 Arcangelo, No. 2 Geaux Rocket Ride and No. 3 Arabian Knight are 3-year-olds. All three are scheduled to start next in the BC Classic.

The highest-ranking older horse, Whitney Stakes winner White Abarrio, likewise runs next in the BC Classic.

After splashing his way to a Pennsylvania Derby victory at Parx Racing last Saturday (Sept. 30), Saudi Crown debuts on the Top 10 this week at No. 8.

Look for Ushba Tesoro to likely rise in the rankings next week after he tuned up for the BC Classic with a facile victory Wednesday (Sept. 27) in an 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) dirt race at Japan’s Funabashi Racecourse.

Lurking within close range of the early lead, Ushba Tesoro surged to the front coming into the stretch and went on to win the Nippon TV Hai effortlessly by 2 1/2 lengths.

This was Ushba Tesoro’s first start since he won the Group I, $12 million Dubai World Cup by 2 3/4 lengths last March 25. He has won 10 of 30 career starts, but he sports an excellent 7-for-8 record when racing on dirt.

I was at Tokyo Race Course in 2012 when Ushba Tesoro’s sire, Orfevre, lost the Group I, $6.5 million Japan Cup by a nose to the outstanding filly Gentildonna. How good was Gentildonna? She earned $18,468,392 during her racing career.

A Japanese Triple Crown winner in 2011, Orfevre probably would have won the Group I Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2012 if he had received a better-timed ride. Many, including yours truly, believe jockey Christophe Soumillon moved Orfevre too soon in the Arc. Orfevre blew by several opponents, including Solemia, and opened a clear lead late in the race. But Solemia came on to win by a neck.

Orferve also ran second in the 2012 Arc. He lost by five lengths on that occasion to a female buzz saw by the name of Treve.

A grandson of Sunday Silence (winner of the 1989 BC Classic and America’s 1989 Horse of the Year), Orfevre amassed lifetime earnings of $19,005,276.

Ushba Tesoro is not the first Orfevre offspring to excel on dirt. Marche Lorraine, a daughter of Orfevre, rallied from far back to pull off a huge upset in the Grade I BC Distaff on dirt at Del Mar in 2021. Marche Lorraine, who benefitted from a ridiculously fast pace, paid $101.80 for each $2 win wager.

Meanwhile, word from Japan is the plan for Derma Sotogake is for him to run in the BC Classic, even though he missed his originally targeted Breeders’ Cup prep.

Derma Sotogake was supposed to have been in Wednesday’s Nippon TV Hai Stakes, but the Japan racing news site Sponichi Keiba reported that a foot injury precluded him from participating in that race, according to Horseracingnation.com.

Trainer Hidetaka Otonashi said that Derma Sotogake has returned to training and had his most recent workout on Sept. 22. Otonashi has scheduled three more workouts for the colt. The colt is to enter quarantine at the Miho Training Center on Oct. 17 before flying to the United States.

Derma Sotogake has not competed since running in the Grade I Kentucky Derby on May 6. Officially, like the other 17 starters in that race, he carried 126 pounds. But if you ask me, Derma Sotogake carried a lot more weight than 126 pounds. That’s because he was Andy Beyer’s pick to win. Beyer correctly tabs the Kentucky Derby winner about as often as a solar eclipse occurs.

Of course, Beyer was far from the only person who liked Derma Sotogake in the Kentucky Derby. There were many on the colt’s bandwagon following his dominant victory in the Group II UAE Derby on the same March 25 card as the Dubai World Cup.

Back in mid-April, Derma Sotogake ranked No. 6 on my Kentucky Derby Top 10. On the one hand, he was so impressive in the UAW Derby that I certainly wasn’t about to take him lightly the Run for the Roses. On the other hand, I was mindful of the abysmal record by UAE Derby starters in the Kentucky Derby.

Prior to this year, the best finish of the 18 UAE starters in the Kentucky Derby came when Master of Hounds ran fifth in 2011. After Derma Sotogake’s defeat at Churchill Downs this year, UAE Derby winners now are 0 for 19 in the Kentucky Derby.

One reason a lot of people liked Derma Sotogake in the Kentucky Derby is many felt his UAE Derby performance was better than the older Ushba Tesoro’s in the Dubai World Cup. These two races did not have official Beyer Speed Figures this year. However, Randy Moss of the Beyer Speed Figure-making team said it’s estimated that Derma Sotogake not only would have run a triple-digit Beyer in the UAE Derby, his figure would have been higher than that of Ushba Tesoro for his win in the Dubai World Cup.

Derma Sotogake’s final time in the UAE Derby was 1:55.81, making it the second-fastest since the race’s distance was changed to 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles) in 2010. The fastest winner at this distance was Mendelssohn’s 1:55.18 when he won by 18 1/2 lengths in 2018.

In the Kentucky Derby, Mendelssohn was banged around early before finishing last in the field of 20.

How many of Derma Sotogake’s supporters in the Kentucky Derby would be willing to back him in the BC Classic despite his long layoff? I’m guessing not many.

The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of voters comprised of members of the Breeders’ Cup Racing/Secretaries Panel, international racing and sports media, plus racing analysts.

The rankings will be updated weekly through Oct. 10.

The Top 10 this week’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Rankings is below:

Rank Points Horse (First-Place Votes)

1. 333 Arcangelo (25)
2. 276 Geaux Rocket Ride (1)
3. 265 Arabian Knight (3)
4. 247 White Abarrio (4)
5. 152 Forte
6. 131 Proxy
7. 126 Bright Future
8. 111 Saudi Crown
9. 69 Ushba Tesoro (2)
10. 59 Mage

MY UPDATED EARLY BC CLASSIC ODDS

This year will be the eighth time that I will be setting the morning-line odds for the Breeders’ Cup races.

In terms of my current early odds for the BC Classic, I have Arcangelo the favorite at 3-1.

Now that Ushba Tesoro has stylishly returned to the races and mindful of his stellar record in dirt races, I have lowered my early BC odds for him from 15-1 a couple of weeks ago to 8-1.

Below are my current early odds for each horse on the Top 10 in this week’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Rankings:

Rank Horse (Early Odds)

1. Arcangelo (3-1)
2. Geaux Rocket Ride (5-1)
3. Arabian Knight (5-1)
4. White Abarrio (6-1)
5. Forte (10-1)
6. Proxy (12-1)
7. Bright Future (12-1)
8. Saudi Crown (10-1)
9. Ushba Tesoro (8-1)
10. Mage (15-1)

SAUDI CROWN CAPTURES PENNSYLVANIA DERBY

On a main track at Parx Racing that was a sea of slop, Saudi Crown seized the lead at once and was never headed in the Pennsylvania Derby last Saturday (Sept. 23).

Ridden by Florent Geroux, Saudi Crown prevailed by a half-length when staving off a late charge by runner-up Dreamlike. Il Miracolo finished third in the field of 11, six lengths behind Dreamlike.

Brad Cox trains Saudi Crown, a Kentucky-bred colt by 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming. Always Dreaming is a son of Bodemeister, who ran second to I’ll Have Another in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2012.

Saudi Crown was my top pick in my Xpressbet.com selections for the Pennsylvania Derby. As I and many others expected, he was sent away as the favorite. He was bet down to even money. Saudi Crown’s price on the morning line was 7-2, with Reincarnate pegged as the 3-1 favorite. Reincarnate was the second choice at the start, though a much bigger price at 9-2 than Saudi Crown.

“What I really would like to wager on is not available…If I could, I would make a large wager that Saudi Crown, not Reincarnate, will be the favorite when the 3-year-olds spring from the starting gate,” I wrote for Xpressbet.com. “Maybe I’ll be wrong. But I’d be willing to bet a lot of money that I’m right.”

I was not wrong. And I was far from the only one thinking Saudi Crown would be the favorite when the race began.

On the Fox Sports program “America’s Day at the Races,” Andy Serling said: “Only one person thinks Reincarnate is going to be the favorite. And that is the person who made the morning line.”

On the radio program “Thoroughbred Los Angeles,” Jay Privman said: “There are great works of fiction by Hemmingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald. Also, today’s Pennsylvania Derby morning line is among the great works of fiction.”

Just who was the person who was slammed by so many for making Reincarnate the favorite on the Pennsylvania Derby morning line? It was Parx director of racing and racing secretary Dave Osojnak.

I think Osojnak does deserve credit for putting together an excellent 14-race card headed by the Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion, a pair of Grade I, $1 million events. But in terms of favoritism in the Pennsylvania Derby, Osojnak’s morning line was way off the mark.

Speaking of the Cotillion, my top choice for Xpressbet.com was Ceiling Crusher. She won by a half-length in front-running fashion at 3-1. Edwin Maldonado was aboard the California-bred Mr. Big filly.

Osojnak did nail it when he made Pretty Mischievous a 2-1 favorite on the Cotillion morning line. Pretty Mischievous went off at 2-1 and finished second in the field of nine. Occult came in third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Pretty Mischievous.

Pretty Mischievous took a three-race winning streak, all at the Grade I level, into the Cotillion, having won the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes and Test Stakes.

The O’Neill-trained Ceiling Crusher now has won six of seven career starts.

PENNSYLVANIA DERBY WINNING BEYERS

Saudi Crown was credited with a 105 Beyer Speed Figure for his Pennsylvania Derby victory. Ceiling Crusher received a 93 Beyer for her win in the Cotillion.

This was the third consecutive race in which Saudi Crown has recorded a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure. He logged a 106 Beyer when losing the Grade III Dwyer Stakes by a nose and a 105 when also losing the Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes by a scant nose.

Saudi Crown is but two nose defeats away from being undefeated in five career starts.

Below are the Beyer Speed Figures for Pennsylvania Derby winners going back to 1992 (the first year they were listed in the American Racing Manual):

2023 Saudi Crown (105)
2022 Taiba (108)
2021 Hot Rod Charlie (111)
2020 not run
2019 Math Wizard (99)
2018 McKinzie (107)
2017 West Coast (107)
2016 Connect (103)
2015 Frosted (106)
2014 Bayern (110)
2013 Will Take Charge (105)
2012 Handsome Mike (93)
2011 To Honor and Serve (105)
2010 Morning Line (103)
2009 Gone Astray (104)
2008 Anak Nakal (100)
2007 Timber Reserve (105)
2006 not run
2005 Sun King (103)
2004 Love of Money (112)
2003 Grand Hombre (108)
2002 Harlan’s Holiday (96)
2001 Macho Uno (104)
2000 Pine Dance (105)
1999 Smart Guy (109)
1998 Rock and Roll (110)
1997 Frisk Me Now (114)
1996 Devil’s Honor (114)
1995 Pineing Patty (108)
1994 Meadow Flight (106)
1993 Wallenda (100)
1992 Thelastcrusade (107)

NEXT DESTROYS MARATHON FOES

It was Next first, the rest nowhere.

Widely considered to be the best dirt marathon runner in this country, Next sloshed his way to a 25-length tour de force on a sloppy track in the 1 1/2-mile Greenwood Cup at Parx Racing last Saturday (Sept. 23).

Pounded down to odds-on favoritism in this Grade III affair, Next made 3-10 look like a tremendous overlay. It was his third victory in a row. He won Belmont Park’s Grade II Brooklyn Stakes at 1 1/2 miles by 2 1/4 lengths on June 10, then Saratoga’s ungraded Birdstone Stakes at 1 3/4 miles by 11 3/4 lengths on July 27.

Next’s Beyer Speed Figures were 101 for the Brooklyn, 105 for the Birdstone and 104 for the Greenwood Cup.

Doug Cowans trains Next, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred Not This Time gelding. Next is out of the Awesome Again mare Bahia Beach. As mentioned earlier, the Awesome Again Stakes will be run this Saturday at Santa Anita.

Enough was thought of Next as a 2-year-old in 2020 (when trained by Wesley Ward) that he started in the Grade I BC Juvenile at Keeneland. Next finished 14th that day, though.

Next was claimed by his current owner, Michael Foster, for $62,500 at Keeneland on April 16, 2022. Since being acquired by Foster, the long-distance specialist has won six of eight while earning $689,978.

What’s next for Next? He is headed to the Grade II Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, a 1 1/2-mile race on the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup undercard at Santa Anita. He won that race last year at Keeneland by 6 1/4 lengths.

SECRETARIAT LOST ANOTHER RACE STARTING WITH “W”

This week marks the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s loss in the Woodward Stakes. It would be the last time the great Bold Ruler colt would ever taste defeat.

In 1973, Secretariat won the Grade I Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths to achieve the first Triple Crown sweep in 25 years. As an encore, he won the Arlington Invitational by nine lengths. But just when it looked like he would never lose again, he finished second as a 1-10 favorite in the Grade I Whitney Stakes when upset by 5-1 Onion at Saratoga on Aug. 4. Secretariat came out of the Whitney seriously ill. It’s widely thought that the virus was incubating in him in the Whitney, which was a major reason for his defeat.

To show how far off form Secretariat was in the Whitney, he finished one length behind Onion, whose final time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:49 1/5.

In Secretariat’s next start, he rebounded to win the 1 1/8 mile Marlboro Cup going away by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:45 2/5 to set a world record. Onion finished fourth in the Marlboro Cup, 12 lengths behind Secretariat.

After Secretariat’s record-breaking performance in the Marlboro Cup, it again looked like the Meadow Stable superstar would never lose another race. But he did. In fact, he lost his very next race.

Riva Ridge, also a Meadow Stable colorbearer, ran a terrific race in the Marlboro Cup. But he had to settle for second to stablemate Secretariat.

Though Riva Ridge was unable to defeat Secretariat in the Marlboro Cup, it was Riva Ridge’s dislike of running on a wet track that was largely responsible for Secretariat getting beat in the Sept. 29 Woodward.

Lucien Laurin trained both Secretariat and Riva Ridge. Laurin entered the pair of champions in the Woodward, but only one was going to run, and that was supposed to be Riva Ridge. The plan was for Secretariat to skip the Woodward and instead make his grass debut in the Man o’ War Stakes on Oct. 8.

Secretariat was put in the Woodward just in case Riva Ridge would be scratched because of wet main track. As noted earlier, Riva Ridge did not like running on a wet surface. A sloppy track probably kept Riva Ridge from becoming a Triple Crown winner in 1972. He won the Kentucky Derby by 3 1/4 lengths on a fast track and Belmont Stakes by seven on dry land, but struggled on a sloppy track and finished fourth as a 3-10 favorite in the Preakness.

Unfortunately for Secretariat, it did rain the day before the Woodward and Riva Ridge was indeed scratched. Secretariat started in spite of a light workout regimen following the Marlboro Cup owing to the fact that he had been scheduled to run next in the Man o’ War.

Secretariat was backed down to 3-10 favoritism in the Woodward. Legendary trainer Allen Jerkens, who had ambushed Secretariat in the Whitney with Onion, upset the Triple Crown winner again in the Woodward, this time with Prove Out.

Prove Out, dismissed by the bettors at 16-1, won by 4 1/2 lengths on a sloppy track. And he didn’t just defeat Secretariat, he trounced him.

You can watch the 1973 Woodward Stakes on YouTube (Dave Johnson has the call).

“There was a feeling this horse could do anything, and some of the decisions I made were not good,” Penney Chenery of Meadow Stable admitted to BloodHorse magazine in its 40-year retrospective of Secretariat’s 1973 campaign.

Clearly, it was a bad decision to substitute a less-than-ready Secretariat for Riva Ridge in the Woodward, which at that time was a 1 1/2-mile race.

Proving his Woodward triumph was not a fluke, in Prove Out’s next start, he won the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup by 4 3/4 lengths. Riva Ridge finished sixth.

Secretariat was victorious in the final two races of his career, both on turf, while on his way to a second Horse of the Year title. He won the 1 1/2 mile Man o’ War by five lengths with regular rider Ron Turcotte in the saddle, then the 1 1/2-mile Canadian International at Woodbine by 5 1/2 lengths with jockey Eddie Maple pinch-hitting for the suspended Turcotte.

“Secretariat was a better horse on the turf,” Turcotte once told me. “As great as he was on the dirt, he was an even better horse on the grass. His action was great on the dirt, but it was even greater on the grass.”

One thing mighty Secretariat could not do was win a race that started with the letter “w” during his career. He lost all three times that he ran in such a race. He finished third in the Wood Memorial, second in the Whitney and second in the Woodward.

TOP 10 IN THIS WEEK’S NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL

Rank Points Horse (First-Place Votes)

1. 291 Arcangelo (23)
2. 275 Cody’s Wish (6)
3. 205 Elite Power (1)
4. 200 Echo Zulu (2)
5. 177 White Abarrio (2)
6. 169 Arabian Knight
7. 95 Geaux Rocket Ride
8. 80 Up to the Mark
9. 61 Casa Creed
10. 60 Gunite