by Jeff Lowe

Awesome Gem’s road back to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) has been a tough grind that reached the winner’s circle at an ideal time with his victory in the Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (G2) on October 3.

The six-year-old Awesome Again gelding registered his first stakes win since he edged Midnight Lute by a nose in the 2007 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G2) over the old dirt track at Santa Anita Park. He closed out 2007 with a third-place finish behind Curlin and Hard Spun at 28.30-to-1 odds in the sloppy Classic at Monmouth Park.

Awesome Gem will be a longshot again in the Classic with the added twist of running on the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita. He has one victory, in an optional-claiming race in June 2007 at Hollywood Park, in 16 starts on synthetic tracks. He did have a prosperous stretch two years ago, when he finished second in the San Diego Handicap (G2), Pacific Classic (G1) and Goodwood (G1) leading up to the switch to dirt in the Classic at Monmouth.

This time, Awesome Gem will make the opposite move, with his trainer Craig Dollase and owner West Point Thoroughbreds opting for the Classic rather than returning to the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), the race in which he finished sixth last year.

“I’ve got him in good form right now,” Dollase said. “Even his Pacific Classic [this year], where he ran seventh, he ran well that day; he just got in some trouble. He’s just one of those horses that doesn’t get his picture taken too often, but he’s usually there or thereabouts. If he could be there or thereabouts on Saturday, we’ll be very happy.

Awesome Gem has answered quite a few bells, even though his first start came in the middle of his three-year-old year. At six, he has now made 30 starts with only a few gaps along the way for breathers at the end of 2007 and ‘08.

Terry Finley, the president of West Point Thoroughbreds, said Awesome Gem had chips in both ankles when bloodstock agent Buzz Chace bought him for $150,000 during the 2005 Barretts March two-year-olds in training sale.

“Since then, he’s never had a major problem,” Finley said. “He was very green at the two-year-old sale and didn’t breeze that well, but he came with a very good recommendation from the consignor, J. J. Crupi. It worked out great, and it’s been a fun ride for four years now. … He certainly doesn’t look like a six-year-old. He’s probably the equivalent a 36-year-old running back in the NFL. Every once in a while they’ll put a big game together. Hopefully, he can do it again Saturday.”

For complete Thoroughbred Times coverage of the Breeders' Cup Classic, click here.

Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer