Awesome Again has Mucho Macho Man, Paynter; Beholder faces elders in Zenyatta

Awesome Again has Mucho Macho Man, Paynter; Beholder faces

elders in Zenyatta

Mucho Macho Man and Paynter highlight a nice field in Saturday's $250,000

Awesome

Again, one of five Grade 1 stakes on a blockbuster program at Santa Anita,

and both horses will be attempting to regain a little lost luster in their final

prep for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Mucho Macho Man returns to the scene of arguably his best performance, a

half-length second in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. The

five-year-old horse registered a career-best 113 BRIS Speed rating for the

effort and looked poised to enjoy a tremendous 2013 campaign, but Mucho Macho

Man has gone winless from three attempts this season.

Paynter, who finished a head second in the Belmont Stakes before capturing

the Haskell Invitational in resounding fashion last year, made a remarkable

recovery from a life-threatening illness and stamped himself as a serious

Classic contender when returning from an 11-month hiatus with a superb allowance

score in mid-June, but he's dropped both stakes attempts since, including a

disappointing last-place effort most recently as the favorite in the Woodward.

Mucho Macho Man did not run poorly when making his second start off the

layoff in the Whitney Handicap on August 3, finishing third by 2 1/4 lengths,

and trainer Kathy Ritvo shipped him west on September 9 in order to allow him

plenty of time to acclimate. His affinity for the oval has shown in the

mornings, with the bay son of Macho Uno recording three quick works at Santa

Anita, including a five-furlong bullet in :59 1/5, and Mucho Macho Man receives

a positive rider switch to Gary Stevens.

Paynter did not care for Polytrack, according to trainer and jockey, when

finishing a half-length second in the July 27 San Diego at Del Mar and the

four-year-old son of Awesome Again broke poorly and never appeared appeared

comfortable on Saratoga's sloppy track in the August 31 Woodward. He captured

his racing debut at Santa Anita in February 2012, scoring by open lengths, and

recorded a respectable fourth-place effort behind I'll Have Another when jumping

straight to stakes company for his second career start in the Santa Anita Derby.

Martin Garcia will take over the reins for Bob Baffert.

A total of 10 horses were entered for the 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again.

Baffert is also responsible for Grade 1 victor Liaison, who exits a third in

the August 31 Harry F. Brubaker at Del Mar, and lightly-raced comebacker Take

Control. The first foal out of 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri, Take Control will

be making his first appearance since a fourth in the 2012 San Diego.

Harry F. Brubaker winner Summer Hit and Swaps scorer Chief Havoc will be

looking to prove their worth at the Grade 1 level. You Know I Know, a reformed

claimer for John Sadler, did not run poorly when finishing third in his stakes

debut, the Pacific Classic, and Jeranimo, a sharp winner of the Grade 1 Eddie

Read on turf two starts back, will make his first start on a conventional dirt

track for Michael Pender.

Golden Ticket, dead-heat winner of the 2012 Travers and runner-up in the

Stephen Foster two starts back, would add further depth if he starts, but the

Kenny McPeek-trained colt is cross-entered to Saturday's Homecoming Classic at

Churchill Downs. Soi Phet, who possesses a four-race win streak, including three

consecutive optional claiming/allowance events at Del Mar, rounds out the field.

One race prior to the Awesome Again, two-year-old filly champion Beholder

will make her first start against older rivals in the $250,000

Zenyatta

at 1 1/16 miles. The Henny Hughes filly secured the Eclipse Award when capturing

the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita last fall and posted a pair of

facile Grade 1 victories over the track earlier this season in the Santa Anita

Oaks and Las Virgenes.

Beholder proved extremely game in defeat after chasing fast fractions in the

Kentucky Oaks, checking in a half-length second, and returned from a four-month

freshening with a scintillating 2 3/4-length decision in the September 1 Torrey

Pines, winning in effortless fashion with Stevens in the saddle. The Hall of

Fame jockey will retain the assignment for Hall of Fame conditioner Richard

Mandella and Beholder figures to be showing the way from post 3.

There is other quality speed in the eight-horse field. Joyful Victory romped

to a four-length victory on the front end when shipping to Santa Anita in March

for the Grade 1 Santa Margarita and the Larry Jones trainee tuned up for her

return engagement with a 7 1/4-length romp in the July 28 Molly Pitcher at

Monmouth Park. Rosie Napravnik will be in to guide the confirmed front-runner.

Authenticity, who does her best running up close to the lead, will invade for

trainer Todd Pletcher, who shipped Love and Pride in to win last year's

Zenyatta. The six-year-old mare posted a nice win in the Grade 3 Shuvee Handicap

two starts back and exits a runner-up finish to dual champion Royal Delta in the

August 25 Personal Ensign. Flashy American is another shipper of note for Kenny

McPeek. Runner-up in the Shuvee three back, the in-form gray filly posted sharp

wins in the Alada at Saratoga and the Locust Grove at Churchill Downs in her

last two outings.

Include Me Out, a three-time Grade 1 heroine in 2012 and third in the

Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, will look to turn things around following a

sub-par eighth as the favorite in the Clement L. Hirsch on August 3. More

Chocolate, who ran well at Santa Anita when capturing the Grade 2 La Canada at

the same distance earlier this season, exits a pair of runner-up finishes versus

Grade 1 rivals in the Hirsch and Vanity Handicap.

The $250,000

Rodeo

Drive, a 1 1/4-mile turf test for fillies and mares, features an intriguing

rematch between Marketing Mix and Tiz Flirtatious, who were separated by only a

head when one-two in the Grade 1 Gamely on May 27. Marketing Mix is the

defending champion, taking the 2012 Rodeo Drive by 2 1/4 lengths prior to a

close second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, but she will be looking to

rebound from a non-threatening fourth as the favorite in the August 17 Beverly D

at Arlington. Stevens guides the Tom Proctor charge.

Tiz Flirtatious is much more of a late bloomer than her main rival. Trainer

Marty Jones switched the California-bred daughter of Tizbud to turf last fall,

winning the California Cup Distaff, and she concluded 2012 with runner-up

finishes against graded foes in the Matriarch and Robert J. Frankel. The

five-year-old mare opened 2012 with victories in the Valentine's Dancer and

Grade 2 Santa Ana, and then just missed against her more seasoned opponent in

the Gamely. Tiz Flirtatious exits a convincing 2 1/4-length tally in the August

11 John C. Mabee at Del Mar and will keep Julien Leparoux in the saddle.

Multiple Grade 1 queen Lady of Shamrock, who finished third in the Gamely and

second in the John C. Mabee, adds further quality to the seven-horse field.

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