Awesome Anywhere can further reward owners

ARCADIA, Calif. – Awesome Anywhere was claimed for $32,000 on Sept. 16 at Golden Gate Fields. He repaid a hefty chunk of that amount to his ownership group by winning an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option on Oct. 6 at Santa Anita.

Awesome Anywhere, a gelding, earned $30,600 for Team Green, George Todaro, and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. They can recoup more of their investment if Awesome Anywhere runs well in Thursday’s fourth race, an optional claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs. Hollendorfer claimed Awesome Anywhere with races at Santa Anita in mind.

“I thought he would run good in Southern California, especially on the dirt track,” he said. “He looked like a good solid horse to me.”

Awesome Anywhere is part of a field of six in the optional claimer. Two runners are eligible to be claimed for $62,500 – El Huerfano and Stone Hands.

The optional claimer is the fourth race on an eight-race program that has a carryover of $724,807 in the 20-cent Rainbow pick six. The Rainbow pick six pool is fully distributed only if there is one winning ticket, which has yet to occur at the autumn meeting. The pool must be paid out on closing day, Nov. 4.

KEY CONTENDERS

Awesome Anywhere, by Awesome of Course
Last 3 Beyers: 92-87-59

◗ Awesome Anywhere has won 5 of 10 starts overall and 3 of 4 starts at Santa Anita for Hollendorfer and previous trainer Bob Hess Jr. Hess lost Awesome Anywhere via claim for $25,000 to Tim McCanna last March. For McCanna, Awesome Anywhere won 2 of 6 starts, a sequence ending with Sept. 16 race at Golden Gate Fields.

◗ Awesome Anywhere typically races from off the pace, but can be close to the lead. On Oct. 6, Awesome Anywhere was always near the front and won by 3 1/4 lengths over nine-time winner Solid Wager.

Lookie Loo, by Candy Ride
Last 3 Beyers: 86-86-88

◗ Lookie Loo was second by a neck in an optional claimer at a mile on Aug. 9 at Del Mar, his only start of the summer. Trained by Bob Baffert, Lookie Loo won a maiden special weight race at six furlongs in January and an optional claimer at a mile in March.

◗ Joe Talamo has the mount on Lookie Loo, who also races near the front.

El Huerfano, by Tannersmyman
Last 3 Beyers: 92-86-87

◗ A six-time winner, El Huerfano won an optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 4 when eligible to be claimed for $62,500, his first win in five starts this year. A 6-year-old gelding trained by Peter Miller, El Huerfano was always near the front and won by a length over the well-regarded Shivermetimbers.

◗ Last year, El Huerfano was third in the E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-bred milers at Los Alamitos. Thursday’s race is his first start in a sprint since a fourth in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs in June.