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Awesome Czech hopes to be awesome in $125K Suzie O’Cain

by Christian Abdo

Barry Schwartz’s stakes-placed New York homebred Awesome Czech looks to live up to her name with an awesome stakes score in Wednesday’s $125,000 Suzie O’Cain, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for state-bred sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Mendelssohn bay leads a four horse unit for trainer Horacio De Paz after a stalking allowance score at the distance versus state-bred elders on July 21 here. Awesome Czech was making her second start off a seven-month layoff following a fourth in the one-mile Listed Wild Applause on June 22 at Belmont at the Big A.

“It was a very honest effort. It was a spot to give her a confidence boost, very happy with her effort,” said De Paz. “I think she’ll probably be tough in here based off her last race.”

In the open-company Wild Applause, the leaders Macanga and Chantilly Road ran off on the front end and Awesome Czech was 17 lengths back in fifth position after the half-mile. She improved at each call to finish fourth, defeated 5 3/4 lengths by the victorious Oversubscribed. In defeat, Awesome Czech earned a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She ran very honest in open-company races at Aqueduct. We were trying to kind of see her limit, but this is a good spot to just keep her on a roll, confidence booster,” said De Paz. “She’s probably more of a closer than a horse that wants to go to the lead.”

Awesome Czech finished a pacesetting second in the open one-mile Tepin in November at Aqueduct Racetrack to cap her past campaign. Her juvenile efforts included a third-out graduation in September ahead of a fifth in the Listed Chelsey Flower in October– both going the O’Cain distance at Belmont at the Big A.

Out of the winning Awesome Again mare Marvelous Martina, Awesome Czech boasts a lifetime 7-2-2-0 record with $154,780 in earnings.

Manny Franco will be aboard from post 6.

De Paz will saddle another Schwartz homebred in Red Burgundy [post 9, Ricardo Santana, Jr., blinkers OFF], who hasn’t raced since an off-the-board finish in the Chelsey Flower. The Noble Mission gray graduated at third asking two weeks prior to that stakes debut, besting state-breds in pacesetting fashion at Wednesday’s distance.

“Last year, she ran really well. We put her going the distance on the turf and then probably tried her back too fast to go in that stake, so now we are just looking to get going again,” De Paz explained. “She has quality to her as well.”

Magic Cap Stables and Hayden Racing’s stakes-placed Munny Grab [post 7, Tyler Gaffalione] earned a career-best 76 Beyer in her grass debut when fifth after breaking slowly in the one-mile Listed Memories of Silver in April at the Big A. The Munnings chestnut matched that number when closing for third versus elders in a local 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer on July 24.

“Her open stake at Aqueduct, she ran really well. She got beat, was fifth, but it was an impressive race versus the horses she was running against for her first time on turf,” said De Paz. “When we came back here, it was kind of a tough spot against two-other-than older mares, but she showed some determination in there.”

Bred by EKQ Stables Corp., Munny Grab, out of the stakes-winning Maria’s Mon mare Another World, was a $75,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale.

The quartet is completed by AGB Equine Racing’s maiden-winner Downtown Channel [post 3, Jose Ortiz]. The English Channel chestnut has raced three times, all at the Spa, including a 21-1 graduation on June 8 Belmont Stakes Day over state-bred elders traveling 1 1/16 miles.

“I didn’t think she was going to break her maiden the day that she won, but she did that well and is now in deeper company,” said De Paz. “It is go against 3-year-olds and up or straight 3-year-olds. Awesome Czech and Munny Grab are more seasoned but maybe she can pick up a piece of it. She might surprise me like she did on Belmont weekend.”

Bred by John Spinello, Carol Spinello, Conrad Zurich and Linda Zurich, Downtown Channel, out of the winning War Front mare Warm Front, was a $7,500 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale.

Lindy Farms’ Boxed Wine [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche] finished a rallying third last-out in the allowance won by Awesome Czech. Trained by Philip Antonacci, the Vino Rosso bay earned a career-best 76 Beyer in defeat, improving upon a pair of 75s at 1 1/16 miles in May for a fourth-out graduation and a closing fifth in a state-bred allowance.

“She’s not out of place based on numbers, just needs a bit of racing luck. Hopefully she gets covered up and can get over to the rail, gets a seam and can pop through to finish,” Antonacci said. “That would be the ideal plan. It’s only three-year-old fillies New York-bred, if we’re going to take a shot, now is the time to do it.”

Bred by Repole Stable, Boxed Wine, out of the graded-stakes placed Congrats mare Temper Mint Patty, was a $25,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale.

Thomas Brockley and Daryn A. Brockley’s stakes-winner Brocknardini [post 1, Flavien Prat] finished fifth as the favorite in her return from an over nine-month layoff in the 1 1/16-mile Boiling Springs on July 13 at Monmouth Park.

Trained by George Weaver, the Palace Malice bay was a 4 3/4-length debut winner at the O’Cain distance last August at the Spa, ahead of a troubled Grade 1 attempt in the one-mile Natalma in September at Woodbine Racetrack. She wheeled back two weeks later to win the 1 1/16-mile Selima on good footing at Laurel Park.

Bred by Thirty Year Farm, Brocknardini, out of the Bernardini mare Broad Stripes, was a $35,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Hillwood Stable’s Summer Whirl [post 2, John Velazquez] has improved one place in each lifetime start, finishing third here sprinting on June 6, followed by a second at Belmont at the Big A on July 5 and winning on July 27 back at the Spa. Trained by Graham Motion, the Arrogate gray returns to the site of her graduation going one mile.

Bred by Hidden Lake Farm and 3C Stables, Summer Whirl, a half-sister to stakes-placed Harmon, is out of the winning Stephen Got Even mare Summer Shade, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Hot Summer. She was a $225,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic June Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Rounding out the field are last-out maiden claiming winners Bossy Jeans [post 5, Luis Saez] for trainer Mike Maker and Alette d’Oro [post 8, Lane Luzzi] for trainer James Ferraro.

Landed is entered for the main track-only.

The O’Cain is slated as Race 5 on Wednesday’s nine-race card, which also features the Grade 1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard, a 2 3/8-mile hurdle handicap, in Race 1. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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