Awsome Form meets Gone Kool Man again

Awsome Form, who defeated odds-on favorite Gone Kool Man in their MBNA America Mexico Challenge trial on July 27, will try to repeat the feat in the Grade 3 $89,370 final for older horses at 440 yards Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

Awsome Form, owned by A.C. and Jean Ellison, has thrived at Ruidoso Downs this summer by crossing the finish line first in his four starts. In his first local start, however, he was disqualified from a close first-place finish in the Higheasterjet Stakes. But he rebounded to easily win an allowance race, then took the Mr Jet Moore Stakes and knocked off Gone Kool Man in their trial.

Awsome Form defeated 3-5 favorite Gone Kool Man by a half-length in 21.571 seconds for the 440 yards, the fastest qualifying time.

Last summer at Ruidoso Downs, Awsome Form was second in the Grade 1 Rainbow Derby.

Trainer Jack Brooks will saddle Awsome Form and second-fastest qualifier BH Boogie, who won his trial in 21.634 seconds for the 440 yards.

Gone Kool Man, a brother to three-time champion Kool Kue Baby owned by Ramiro Lopez, has been a major stakes competitor in each of his three seasons of competition.

At 2, he won the Grade 2 Longhorn Futurity and was second in the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity. At 3, he won the Grade 1 Remington Park Derby.

This year, he won the Grade 2 Eastex Handicap and was a close second in the Grade 1 Remington Park Championship.

Trained by Janet VanBebber, Gone Kool Man got off to a poor start in his trial but still earned the third-fastest qualifying time (21.648 seconds) while finishing second to Awsome Form.

The Mexico Challenge winner receives an invitation to the Grade 1 $300,000 MBNA America Challenge Championship on Oct. 20 at Los Alamitos. The Challenge Championship winner receives a berth in the Grade 1 $400,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 16.