NEWS: RACING

Sharp, professional score for Awesome Gent in Jimmy Winkfield

Sunday, March 6th, 2016
NYRA/Adam Coglianese

NYRA/Adam Coglianese

By Sarah Mace

Burning Sands Stable homebred Awesome Gent (Awesome Again) racked up his third straight victory over the Aqueduct inner oval and first stakes win when he came from just off the pace under Manny Franco to score a professional and decisive score in Sunday’s the six-furlong, $125,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes for 3-year-olds.

Unplaced as the favorite when unveiled by Todd Pletcher at Saratoga last summer, Awesome Gent returned to the races at Aqueduct on December 19, again as the bettors’ choice, to romp by eighth-plus lengths. Meeting winners for the first time a month later was not a problem. The bay gelding bested a short field with a frontrunning 6 1/4-length victory on January 15.

Sent off as 7-2 third choice on Sunday, Awesome Gent broke well from the three hole, but chose to wait in the wings in third position while longshot Moon Over a Beauty and 2-1 favorite and fellow Pletcher-trainee Sudden Surprise, who charged out of the gate to his inside, dueled up front, clocking a sizzling quarter mile in 22.17 and half in 45.64.

Coming under a drive midway into the far turn, Awesome Gent advanced onto even terms with the leaders and angled out four wide for the drive.

The gelding took over with three-sixteenths left to go and cruised to the wire unopposed. He won by four lengths over Quijote, who split horses in the stretch, and stopped the timer in a sharp final time of 1:10.60. King Kranz checked in third, followed across the line by Condo King, Moon Over a Beauty and Sudden Surprise. [VIDEO].

NYRA/Joe Labozzetta

NYRA/Joe Labozzetta

Jockey Manny Franco reported, “When I saw the two horses [Moon Over a Beauty and Sudden Surprise] fighting on the lead, I decided to sit [behind] and wait until the quarter-pole to make my move. He responded really good. He’s a nice horse and he has speed too, but he does whatever you want him to.”

Pletcher assistant Byron Hughes added, “I thought Manny did a great job, broke sharp and sat outside the pace and took over the top of the stretch and drew off it was very impressive. He’s been here all winter long and it’s been great to have him in the barn. Hopefully his success over the inner continues to the outer track.”

Franco also observed, “I think [he could go longer], Todd [Pletcher] has done such a good job with him. He’s a really nice one.”

Awesome Gent, who has earned $142,492 from his three wins, is one of seven winners out of Pawnee Patti, an Arkansas-bred stakes-placed six figure earner by Sir Richard Lewis. She is the dam of Arkansas-bred Comedero by Posse, who won ten stakes races, headed by the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico, and earned $675,814. The mare currently has a 2-year-old filly by Pomeroy, who is a registered New York-bred, and was bred to San Pablo last year.

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