Shipping to California to prep for the Classic, Mucho Macho Man posted an impressive win in the Awesome Again Stakes.
[3] Facing them was a highly competitive field, including:[4][5] Game On Dude went to the early lead, joined by Fort Larned and longshot Moreno.
Setting a brisk pace, the three exchanged leads for the first three-quarters of a mile before first Moreno, then Game On Dude started to fall back.
As they entered the stretch, Declaration of War failed to change leads but still moved into second, slowly closing ground on the leader.
As they approached the finish, the gap between the three horses narrowed until the final stride, where the result was too close to call with the naked eye.
A photo finish showed Mucho Macho Man had held on to win by inches, with Will Take Charge a head (roughly a foot) in front of Declaration of War.
[1][6][7] It was the first Classic win for jockey Gary Stevens, who had resumed racing in 2013 at age 50 after having retired seven years earlier due to a series of injuries.