Awesome Gem 50-50 for Classic, Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. - Awesome Gem was pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Classic and the Breeders' Cup Mile, with his first preference listed as the Classic, but trainer Craig Dollase said Sunday that Awesome Gem was under equal consideration for both races.

"We're 50-50 either way," Dollase said.

Third in the Classic last year on Monmouth's dirt track, Awesome Gem seems to handle about any racing surface: He has finished third or better in seven of nine synthetic-track races, and has three second-place finishes from four grass starts. Awesome Gem has raced on grass only once since December 2006, finishing second by a nose earlier this year in the restricted Wickerr Handicap at Del Mar.

"We're keeping our options open until Tuesday," Dollase said. "I just went over the fields and stuff. We have a right to change our minds, and we may just do that."