ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 1, 2023)—California-bred millionaire Slow Down Andy earned a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a wire-to-wire win in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita.
Owned by breeder Reddam Racing and trained by Doug O’Neill, Slow Down Andy is by Nyquist, out of the Square Eddie mare Edwina E. By taking the “Win & You’re In” Challenge Race Qualifier, the winner earns a fees-paid berth into the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.
Slow Down Andy’s biggest previous performance to date came four starts back when he finished third, beaten 1 ¾ lengths by eventual Eclipse Champion Cody’s Wish in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 5, 2022 at Keeneland—earning an Awesome Again best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.
Slow Down Andy, ridden by Mario Gutierrez, was third in last year’s Awesome Again and has five wins in 14 starts with earnings of $1,276,600.