Awesome Again top four could meet again in BC Classic

The first four finishers from the Awesome Again Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita all could run back in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2.

Mongolian Groom won the race in a 25-1 upset, and though the race is a Win and You’re In for the Classic, Mongolian Groom isn’t technically in just yet since, unlike the five horses he beat on Saturday, he is not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup. His connections would have to put up $200,000 by pre-entry day Oct. 21 to nominate him to the Breeders’ Cup.

Mongolian Groom got a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 110 in the 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again.

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McKinzie, who was second, third-place Higher Power, and fourth-place Seeking the Soul all will move on to the 1 1/4-mile Classic and all will train up to the race at Santa Anita. All three won previous Win and You’re In races this year, with McKinzie taking the Whitney, Higher Power the Pacific Classic, and Seeking the Soul the Stephen Foster.

McKinzie remains the tepid favorite for the Classic despite losing the Awesome Again as the 1-5 favorite. His trainer, Bob Baffert, on Monday said McKinzie “looks good” coming out of the race.