Awesome Speed lives up to name at Gulfstream
HALLANDALE — Awesome Speed lived up to his name, impressively winning Saturday’s Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream.
His trainer, Alan Goldberg, was ready for the questions inevitably posed to the connections of any Derby-age stakes winner at this time of year. The Mucho Macho Man was a flat mile around one turn. Can Awesome Speed, who had not run beyond six furlongs, stretch out farther to two turns and the mile and a quarter of the Kentucky Derby?
Goldberg hedged. “He’ll stretch out to a mile and a sixteenth, but I don’t know if he’ll stretch out with good horses. We’ll see.” That will likely come in the Holy Bull or Fountain of Youth later in the season.
Awesome Speed, sent off the 3-5 favorite, didn’t beat any budding superstars in the Mucho Macho Man, but he did it in a manner suggesting there is a lot of quality to be tapped.
He got off to an eventful start, getting jostled around out of the gate. Joel Rosario, who won five races on the card, remained patient, allowing Awesome Speed to move up even-paced on the outside to challenge early leader Aggressive Driver.
They collared the leader midway through the turn then began to draw away in upper stretch. El Charro launched a menacing bid coming out of the turn and dug in gallantly through the stretch, but couldn’t make up decisive ground. Awesome Speed was best by a length and a quarter, completing eight furlongs in 1:35.97.
The fastest 2-year-old of last summer, Awesome Banner, got his 3-year-old campaign off to a blazing start in the six furlong Grade 3 Hutcheson.
Awesome Banner set the track record for 4 1⁄2 furlongs in his career debut in June. A chip in his knee, which was corrected by surgery, kept him in the barn until Saturday when he ran away from some highly regarded rivals.
Despite being on a pressured lead from the start, Awesome Banner, the 6-5 favorite, was able to open a daylight lead turning for home and he increased it from there, cruising home under Jose Caraballo by almost five lengths in 1:09.57.
Longer races are definitely in his future, trainer Stanley Gold said. “Because of his demeanor, I don’t think distance is going to be a problem. Certainly we’re going to try to stretch him out.”
Caraballo seconded that motion. “I think he’ll go longer. He’s a fast horse, but he’s not a speed horse, a crazy horse. He’s very relaxed, very sensible, very smart.”
Lucy N Ethel, who galloped by almost four lengths in the six furlong Grade 3 Old Hat for fillies, will remain a sprinter, according to her trainer Ramon Preciado. “I think three-quarters [of a mile] is her perfect distance.”
Nevertheless, he will extend her slightly in the seven furlong Forward Girl on Jan. 30. He’s confident she’ll be able to handle the stretch out.
He said Lucy N Ethel, who completed three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.03 for her third straight victory, might not have been at her best after shipping in from Pennsylvania. With more time to acclimate and train, Preciado said, “she will run even better.”
A couple of turf stakes had rousing finishes. Lira, trained by Todd Pletcher, appeared to be hopelessly boxed in on the inside in mid-stretch of the Ginger Brew, but Javier Castellano yanked out outside and they closed furiously to get up by a half-length in 1:30.38 for 7 1⁄2 furlongs. Life Imitates Art also rallied late to win the Dania Beach by a head for trainer Chad Brown, who also won the Grade 3 Jerome for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct with Flexibility. Life Imitates Art ran his 7 1⁄2 furlongs in 1:30.42.