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Baffert 1-2 As Improbable Defeats Maximum Security In Awesome Again

With his highly regarded stablemate pressured while a joint second between horses going to the far turn, Bob Baffert's rapidly improving Improbable kicked into high gear from dead last and swept to an emphatic 4 1/2-length score in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., a key prep for the G1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov 7.

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Improbable got a mile and one eighth in 1:49.01 while notching his third consecutive G1 victory.

The Awesome Again, named for the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic winner that was bred in Ontario, Canada, by Frank Stronach and owned by his Stronach Stables, is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the Grade I, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

Longshot Take the One O One, ridden by Jose Valdivia, Jr., set a solid pace while Maximum Security, regarded by many as the best horse in America, sat a joint second between Sleepy Eyes Todd and Midcourt, while Take the One O One opened up to a two-length lead a quarter mile out, only to see the winner sweep by four-deep turning for home.

“I knew I was coming in here with two really good horses,” said Baffert, who collected his fourth Awesome Again win. “Maximum Security was in that scrum and they were really running up close (together). I saw Drayden, he knew what was happening, so he just sat back. He rode a great race, he knew what was going on, he took his time, rode him with patience.

“He's had good luck with this horse. He loves this track. He seems to be better in the gate here, that's why we ran him here. I hate to see my horses have to beat the other horse but 'Max' ran gallantly. He fended off the speed, but the next one is the big one. But today, it was all about Improbable.”

Owned by WinStar Farm, LLC, China Horse Club International, Ltd. and SF Racing, LLC, Improbable, fifth as the favorite behind Maximum Security in the 2019 Kentucky Derby and most recently a winner of the G1 Whitney at Saratoga Aug. 1 and the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita June 6, was off at 9-5 and paid $5.60, $2.40 and $2.10.

“The gate guy did a fabulous job with him, holding him still, he got out clean,” said Van Dyke, who has now won six races with Improbable, including the Hollywood Gold Cup. “I was going to see what everyone else was gonna do, and they did what they did and I did what I did and it worked out good.”

With regard to his thoughts on the upcoming Breeders' Cup Classic, Van Dyke took an introspective approach. “I take it a day at a time and I'm grateful for this win. He showed a different tactic today, which he showed before when he was two. He used to come off the pace more than usual…He's been training super, so I was just waiting for the stretch to come.

“It's awesome, especially for Bob and the owners, everyone involved. I'm grateful for the chance. He's gotten better and better. He's a great horse.”

With today's win, Improbable, a 4-year-old colt by City Zip out of the A.P. Indy mare Rare Event, collected his fourth G1 win and improved his overall mark to 14-7-3-0. With the winner's share of $180,000, he increased his earnings to $1,709,520.

Maximum Security, who became the only horse in Kentucky Derby history to be disqualified from victory for a racing infraction, had a six-race winning streak snapped in what was his third start for Baffert. Pressured between horses throughout, he battled gamely for the place, finishing a half length in front of Midcourt.

Reunited with Luis Saez, who last rode him in the $20 million Saudi Cup three starts back on Feb. 29, Maximum Security was the 1-2 favorite in a field of five and paid $2.10 and $2.10.

“There was a lot of pressure along the way and he couldn't get comfortable, but that's how these races go,” said Saez. “You win sometimes and don't others. The good thing is he pulled up pretty good, so let's see how next time goes. He was fighting at the end of the race, but we lost.”

Off at 12-1 with Victor Espinoza, Midcourt paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.33, 46.36, 1:09.79 and 1:35.65.

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Improbable Romps In the Awesome Again

The lesser-fancied of the Bob Baffert-trained duo, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Improbable (City Zip) was uncustomarily taken well off a fast early pace, began to hit his best stride while wide on the second turn, inhaled the leading group in upper stretch and rolled home to defeat odds-on Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) by 4 1/2 lengths in the GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita.

Though he hadn’t been more than two lengths off the early pace in any of his last four races, Improbable was taken back to last by Drayden Van Dyke as Take the One O One (Acclamation) set a fast pace, clocking fractions of :23.33 and :46.36, with Maximum Security in hot pursuit. Improbable began to catch the eye midway on the final turn, rolled five wide under a full head of steam into the stretch and powered clear.

Maximum Security, with Luis Saez back in the saddle, won the battle for second while tasting defeat for the first time since the Pegasus S. last June. He was perfect in two prior attempts since joining the Bob Baffert barn, including a powerful score in the GI TVG Pacific Classic S. last time Aug. 22.

The Awesome Again was the second Breeders’ Cup Challenge race win for Improbable in 2020, who previously earned his way into the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic with his victory in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga last month.
The beaten favorite in last term’s GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. kicked off 2020 with a runner-up finish in the Oaklawn Mile S. Apr. 11, then broke through with a powerful performance in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup S. June 6 prior to his equally impressive win at the Spa.

Pedigree Notes:

City Zip died at age 19 three years ago, but he remains a top sire with 88 black-type winners covering all surfaces and multiple distances. His 33 graded winners have contributed mightily to his tally of over $105 million in progeny earnings, and Improbable is one of his sire’s 11 millionaires. City Zip is a half-brother to 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, whose sire, Awesome Again, is the namesake of this latest Improbable win. Improbable’s dam, the A.P. Indy mare Rare Event, is out of a half-sister to GISW and leading sire Hard Spun (Danzig). Rare Event’s most recent produce is a yearling colt by Cross Traffic. She was bred to Curlin for 2021. Improbable is the most successful of three stakes winners by City Zip out of A.P. Indy mares, with the others being MSW Lipstick City and SW Marshall Eddy, both on the turf.

Saturday, Santa Anita
AWESOME AGAIN S.-GI, $300,000, Santa Anita, 9-26, 3yo/up,
1 1/8m, 1:49.01, ft.
1–IMPROBABLE, 126, c, 4, by City Zip
                1st Dam: Rare Event, by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Our Rite of Spring, by Stravinsky
                3rd Dam: Turkish Tryst, by Turkoman
   ‘TDN Rising Star‘ ($110,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg ’17
KEESEP). O-WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club International
Ltd. & SF Racing LLC; B-St. George Farm LLC & G. Watts
Humphrey Jr. (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Drayden Van Dyke.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: 14-7-3-0, $1,709,520. Werk Nick
   Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Maximum Security, 126, c, 4, New Year’s Day–Lil Indy, by
Anasheed. O-Gary & Mary West, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael

Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc.

(KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000.
3–Midcourt, 124, g, 5, Midnight Lute–Mayo On the Side, by
French Deputy. ($450,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP). O-C R K Stable LLC;
B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs. $36,000.
Margins: 4HF, HF, 3 3/4. Odds: 1.80, 0.50, 12.70.
Also Ran: Take the One O One, Sleepy Eyes Todd.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Baffert Appears to Have Stranglehold on Awesome Again

Twice in its last seven runnings, the GI Awesome Again S. has produced the winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, with Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) and Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) completing the double in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Just a field of five faces the starter this weekend for the nine-furlong test–a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Classic–but the two marquee horses have legitimate claims at Keeneland in six weeks’ time.

Maximum Security (New Year’s Day), whose topsy-turvy championship sophomore season saw him miss a start in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, is on track for this year’s race and looks to remain perfect in three tries for the Bob Baffert barn since being transferred from Jason Servis. Given plenty of time to recover from his hard-fought success in the $20-million Saudi Cup in February, the bay overcame an eventful trip to defeat Midcourt (Midnight Lute) by a nose in the GII San Diego H. at Del Mar July 25, but looked a different sort altogether when taking out the GI TVG.com Pacific Classic, scoring by three front-running lengths in a result that never truly looked in doubt. Luis Saez, who missed the two post-Saudi rides owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions, makes the trek west Saturday.

In the form of stablemate and ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Improbable (City Zip), Maximum Security faces his most formidable rival since besting champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in Riyadh some seven months ago. A low-odds fifth in last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, the blaze-faced chestnut turned in an enormous effort from a double-digit gate to finish 3/4 of a lengths behind Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike) in the Oaklawn Mile Apr. 11. An easy winner of the 10-furlong GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita June 6, he accounted for next-out GII Alysheba S. hero By My Standards (Goldencents) and the slow-starting, but fast-finishing Tom’s d’Etat in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Aug. 1.

Midcourt was in receipt of five pounds and had the benefit of recency in the San Diego, but was a no-match third at level weights in the Pacific Classic. He’ll get two pounds under the conditions of this race. Sleepy Eyes Todd (Paddy O’Prado) earned this chance via his powerful 7 1/2-length score in the GII Charles Town Classic Aug. 28, but will need a lot to go his way to be a factor. Take The One O One (Acclamation) comes off a one-mile Del Mar allowance win Aug. 22, but also looks in too deep.

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TVG Featuring Live Coverage Of Seven ‘Win And You’re In’ Races From Santa Anita This Weekend

TVG, America's horse racing network and leading ADW platform, will be live on site at Santa Anita for a loaded opening weekend featuring seven Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races including the Awesome Again Stakes (GI), a qualifying race for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) featuring a showdown between two of the top older horses in the country, Maximum Security and Improbable.

There will be expert analysis and exclusive interviews on site at Santa Anita from Todd Schrupp, Britney Eurton and Christina Blacker. They will be joined by Simon Bray and Mike Joyce who will be contributing to the broadcast remotely.

On Saturday, there will be five Breeders' Cup Challenge races on the star-studded eleven race card – the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes (Juvenile Turf Sprint), the $200,000 Chandelier Stakes (Juvenile Fillies), the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (Filly and Mare Turf), the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (Classic) and the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (TVG Juvenile).

The Awesome Again Stakes (GI) will feature two of the stars of the Bob Baffert barn – 2019 Eclipse champion three-year-old Maximum Security and multiple Grade 1 winner Improbable. Maximum Security will be reunited with regular rider Luis Saez and comes into this race off of a victory in the TVG Pacific Classic (GI) in August. Improbable was last seen notching his second consecutive Grade 1 of the year in the Whitney Stakes (GI) at Saratoga.

On Sunday, the action continues with the $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes (Distaff) and the $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (Sprint). The Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held on November 6 and 7 at Keeneland.

Fans of international racing can tune in on Friday and Saturday morning as Candice Hare hosts the racing from Newmarket which will feature two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races – the Shadwell Rockfel Stakes (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Juvenile Turf).

TVG's Caleb Keller will be live trackside at Remington Park on Sunday for the track's premier race, the $200,000 Oklahoma Derby (GIII). The race has attracted a field of nine sophomores including graded stakes winner Shared Sense who has been installed as the morning line favorite at odds of 5-2 for trainer Brad Cox.

TVG will also feature racing from marquee venues across the country including Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park and more.

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