Awsome Form best in New Mexico Challenge

RUIDOSO, NM - Following a tardy beginning, Awsome Form closed stoutly under jockey Jimmy Brooks to post a neck victory over Gone Kool Man in Sunday's Grade 3 MBNA New Mexico Challenge at Ruidoso Downs.

The win marked the second stakes win of the meet and fourth consecutive tally for the Jack Brooks trainee.

"This horse is really running big this year, you know, this makes his sixth win straight (counting a disqualification in the June 9 Higheasterjet Handicap) and that's hard to do," Brooks said. "Against competition like Gone Kool Man and some of the horses he's run with this year, he's really running big. For him to step away good and to run on the end like he does, I'm really proud of him."

Suprisingly, the 4-year-old Rare Form gelding is the only Ruidoso stakes winner in 2001 for eight-time All American Futurity winning trainer Brooks, who will send out 14 runners in Thursday's trials here in search of a ninth All American victory.

Sunday's victory was Awsome Form's eighth career win from 26 starts and the $25,016 winner's share of the New Mexico Challenge's $49,050 purse pushed his lifetime earnings to $102,260 for owners A.C. and Jean H. Ellison of Stevensville, Montana.

Sent off as the second choice behind Gone Kool Man despite having defeated that one in their July 27 trial, Awsome Form returned $5.20 to win. Third choice Bh Boogie finished a half-length back of Gone Kool Man in third to complete a $23.00 trifecta.

Special Crys and Im a Tin Lizzy were early scratches.