Awesome Strong completes series sweep in In Reality; Lynx fails in My Dear Girl

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — Awesome Strong was tested from start to finish but in the end proved gritty enough and good enough to complete a sweep of the colt/gelding division of the Florida Sire Series after registering a hard-fought 1 1/2-length victory over the 71-1 Tigre in the $400,000 In Reality Stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

By virtue of his popular tally in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality, Awesome Strong became the ninth 2-year-old to win all three legs of the open division of the Sire Stakes and 13th juvenile overall to accomplish the feat in the 40-year history of the series. Awesome Strong, who remained undefeated in four starts, has been ridden to each of his wins by Miguel Vasquez for trainer Jorge Delgado.

Delgado was concerned about the fact Awesome Strong had drawn post position 8 in a full field of 2-year-olds with a relatively short run to the first turn in races run at 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park. And those fears came to fruition after his colt was hung wide and knocked about between horses on the clubhouse turn.

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Awesome Strong continued wide while kept out in the clear by Vasquez in the run down the backstretch. He finally stuck his head in front approaching the stretch, edged away from the pacesetting Apocalypso leaving the furlong grounds, drew clear at midstretch, then withstood a late rally from Tigre.

Tigre, the only member of the 12-horse In Reality field with any previous experience around two turns, was returning on just a week’s rest after finishing third over the Tapeta track in the one mile and 70-yard Armed Forces Stakes here last Saturday. Tigre had only one horse beat during the early going, advanced to closer contention after saving ground on the second bend, and was gaining gradually on the winner from along the inside at the end.

Knox, runner-up behind Awesome Strong in the opening two divisions of the Sire Series, rallied mildly to be third while never menacing the top pair. Apocalypso set a very fast and contested pace, 46.29 seconds for the opening half, and weakened in the stretch run, finishing another nose back in fourth.

Awesome Strong, a son of Awesome Slew, is owned by the CSLR Racing Partners of Bill Childs and his son Alex. His final time of 1:46.58 was more than a second slower than the filly division of the series an hour earlier. He paid $3.60.

“You can’t ever take things for granted. Things can happen,” Delgado said. “I wasn’t happy with the post position, but we could not change that. Miguel did a great job. He had to give a little ground the first turn and the rest of the race, he was always wide, and he overcame that and had enough left to win. This horse always comes through, he always shows up. I’m very happy to get the win.”

Delgado said if everything checks out well in the next few days, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, on Nov. 4 at Keeneland, could be the undefeated Awesome Strong’s next goal.

“The owners want to go to the Breeders’ Cup and I’m all right taking him there,” said Delgado.

Jose Pinchin, who trained the last horse to sweep the Florida Sire Series, Three Rules in 2016, was back in the spotlight again Saturday after sending out Atomically to a convincing 6 3/4-length victory over the previously unbeaten Lynx in the $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes. Lynx, the 4-5 favorite, was an easy winner of the first two legs of the filly division of the series.

Atomically entered the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl having had only two previous starts, the second of which produced a very easy, seven-length maiden special weight victory going seven furlongs on Sept. 2. Atomically, a homebred daughter out of the unraced mare Shesunbelievable, received a 73 Beyer Speed Figure for her maiden win, far and away the best number posted by any member of the Susan’s Girl field coming into the race.

Automically was hung wide around the clubhouse turn after breaking from post 9 in the 10-horse field. She readily moved to command leaving the backstretch, edged clear before six furlongs, then drew off from Lynx with complete authority while kept under urging to the end by jockey Edgar Perez.

Lynx was shuffled back to the middle of the pack during the early running, advanced wide around the second turn while commencing her bid, and remained within striking distance turning for home before proving no match for the winner. She was easily second best, checking home a comfortable 4 1/4 lengths in front of the 38-1 Dorth Vador.

Automically covered 1 1/16 miles in an impressive 1:45.35, her time more than a full second faster than the open division.

Pinchin said his only concern coming into the race was whether his filly was seasoned enough.

“She was doing so good and her numbers were so good, they were way above everybody in the race,” said Pinchin. “My only worry was that she only had two runs. I wasn’t worried about the outside post because I knew she had tactical speed.”

Pinchin said he plans to keep Atomically with Florida-breds moving forward, in stakes both here and at Tampa Bay Downs during the remainder of this season and into her 3-year-old campaign.

* Clapton engaged the pacesetting Dean Delivers in the run down the backstretch, then proved gamest in the stretch run to register a one-length victory over the 8-5 favorite in the $100,000 Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap. Noble Drama finished third.

Clapton, a 3-year-old Arindel homebred trained by Juan Alvarado, was turning back in distance after finishing a wide-running sixth in the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Smarty Jones in his previous start at Parx. Neither Clapton nor Dean Deliver had ever competed at a mile prior to the Gil Campbell.

Clapton completed the distance in 1:35.93 under jockey Edgard Zayas and paid $9.40.

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