Awesome Again Will Stand at Stud

Awesome Again, who completed a perfect 1998 with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic five days ago, has been retired.

A 4-year-old son of Deputy Minister who is owned by Frank Stronach and trained by Pat Byrne, Awesome Again will stand at his owner’s Adena Springs Farm in Versailles, Ky. next year. His stud fee will be $50,000.

“Although it was very minor, he did grab a quarter in the Classic and after weighing the pros and cons of keeping him in training, we decided to do what’s in the best interest of the horse and [retire] him on a high note,” said Stronach, who also bred Awesome Again.

After beginning his career in California, where he broke his maiden at Hollywood Park in 1997, Awesome Again won the Jim Dandy at Saratoga and the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine as a 3-year-old.

This year, he won all six of his starts. Before the Classic victory, he won four graded stakes--the Whitney at Saratoga, Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap, Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs and Hawthorne Breeders’ Cup Handicap. Overall, he won nine of 12 and earned $4,374,589.

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Trainer Neil Drysdale and jockey Kent Desormeaux have combined for 19 stakes victories this year after 9-2 shot Bodyguard won the $44,100 Itsallgreektome on Wednesday, the start of Hollywood Park’s 31-day fall season.

It was Drysdale’s 24th stakes win of the year in Southern California, tying him for the lead in that category with Bob Baffert. Drysdale has 26 stakes wins in 1998.

Bodyguard rallied from well off the pace to beat Moonlight Meeting and six others in 1:35 for the mile on turf. He won by nearly two lengths.

Silic, the even-money favorite, lost his left front shoe leaving the gate, then had trouble in the stretch. The stewards ruled Success And Glory, who finished fourth, was responsible for the problem, which also involved Bay Street Blues, the winner and Port Richey, and he was placed sixth.

“[Nineteen stakes wins with Drysdale] is almost as awe-inspiring as winning 598 races in one year,” said Desormeaux, who did just that in 1989. “I’ve been hot with some trainers in Maryland and couldn’t imagine it getting any hotter than that.

“It just continues to build. . . . I feel like I can’t get beat every time I put on Drysdale’s [silks].”

Later on the card, trainer Ron McAnally won his 14th stakes of the year locally, placing him third behind Drysdale and Baffert, when heavily favored Brave Act wired his four rivals in the $72,350 Steinlen Handicap.

This was the second consecutive victory for the 4-year-old, who is owned by Sid Craig, and his seventh in 15 lifetime starts. He ran the 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:40 3/5 under Chris McCarron. Prize Giving, the longest shot in the field at nearly 13-1, was second.

Horse Racing Notes

After finishing off the board against males in the Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup Handicap last month at Santa Anita, Advancing Star will be back in with her own sex, heading a field of seven in Friday’s night $84,000 Corona Handicap at six furlongs. . . . Hollywood Park, fearing the gimmick has been overdone, has canceled the guaranteed Pick Six it was going to offer on Nov. 29. Hollywood Park was the first to offer the wager June 14. . . . Manistique worked seven furlongs in 1:27 2/5 Tuesday morning and will make her comeback in the $100,000 Bayakoa Handicap on Dec. 6.