Awesome Return prevails in four-horse Silky Sullivan photo

Awesome Return, coming off a victory in the $250,000 Snow Chief on the turf at Santa Anita, won his second straight stakes, getting up in the final stride to win the $100,210 Silky Sullivan on Sunday at Golden Gate Fields.

Awesome Return ($6.40) was content to sit back early and then proved best in a four-way battle down the stretch as he won the one-mile turf race for Cal-breds in 1:36.03.

Path To Yes set the pace as Awesome Return sat sixth early in the field of eight.

Awesome Return was able to save ground with an inside trip but was caught behind horses as the field wheeled into the stretch. He made a quick move while shifting out under jockey Joe Talamo and caught Alert Bay in the final stride to win the four-way photo.

"We really had a great trip," said Talamo. "I was able to save ground. I was following Tyler Baze [on Alert Bay] really the whole trip, and I was able to find some racing room down the lane. Thank God for his quick turn of foot because that hole came up kind of quickly, and he just accelerated on very nicely."

Alert Bay finished second and was a head in front of Patriots Rule, who rallied from last and was finishing fastest. G. G. Ryder, the lone local entrant in the field, stuck his head in front in the lane but finished a neck behind Patriots Rule.

Awesome Return. owned and bred by Richard Kritzski, has three wins, a second , and a third in five turf starts. He earned $57,000 and now has career earnings of $258,108 with 3 wins in 7 starts.

"He's a young horse that's developing and getting better," said trainer Mike Puype, "and he's still eligible for the first allowance condition. We'll probably try an allowance race at Del Mar and then the Del Mar Derby."