DEL MAR, Calif. (Nov. 8, 2014) – Multiple stakes winner Awesome Return, making his first start since July 19, rallied to a convincing triumph in the featured $93,100 Let It Ride Stakes for three-year-olds at one mile over the Del Mar infield grass course.
Utilizing the same patient come-from-behind tactics which brought success aboard Queen of The Sand in Friday’s Kathryn Crosby Stakes, opening-day feature of Del Mar’s fall Bing Crosby Season, jockey Mike Smith guided Awesome Return to the outside in the upper stretch and drove to a 1 ¼ length triumph.
“I told Mike (Smith) to take him back a little bit because there was so much speed in the race in my mind,” said trainer Mike Puype. “He got to playing a little bit in the stretch but the horse does that every time. He’s never going to pull away and win by tons, but he still has a little bit left. He runs to his competition. And, as always, you don’t see Mike Smith make any mistakes.”
Awesome Return, a son of Decarchy owned by breeder Richard Kritski, ran the distance in 1:34.55 and returned $5.40, $4 and $3.20 after his fourth win in nine races. First money of $60,660 increased the colt’s earnings to $330,780.
For Awesome Return’s pedigree, click http://www.pedigreequery.com/awesome+return.