Award Winner's move to California pays off

ARCADIA, Calif. - The relocation of Award Winner from the Midwest to California late last year has revived the 5-year-old gelding's career.

On Saturday, Award Winner scored a minor upset, and won his first stakes in his 17th start, in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes. Award Winner is trained by David Hofmans for John and Jerry Amerman.

For Hofmans, 78, the $196,000 Whittingham Stakes was his first graded stakes win since Melatonin’s victory in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita in June 2016.

Award Winner had his fourth start for Hofmans, having finished first or second in three allowance races on turf from early January to late March.

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“He just blossomed when he got out here,” Hofmans said. “He started doing well.”

Award Winner was second by a neck as the even-money favorite in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park in July 2019 for trainer Brian Lynch, but fourth or worse in six starts in 2019 and last year before being switched to the Hofmans stable in California.

The Whittingham was run at 1 1/4 miles. Award Winner won an allowance race at the same distance on March 27. Saturday, Award Winner stalked the 7-year-old pacesetter Acclimate to the final furlong and won by a head. Red King, also 7, and United, 6, completed the order of finish.

“He was the youngest horse in the race,” Hofmans said of Award Winner. “He was coming up to it well.”

The Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf could be a summertime goal for Award Winner.

Hofmans has a long history with the Amermans. He trained Devine Actress, the dam of Award Winner who won the minor Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita for the Amermans in 2010.

In January, the Hofmans-trained Big Fish won the California Cup Derby for statebreds. Big Fish was sidelined with an injury in late winter, and could return to racing at the Del Mar summer meeting.

“He’s back training now,” Hofmans said. “Hopefully, we’ll make Del Mar.”