Awesome win for Prado in $1.2m Charles Town Classic

Report USA, Saturday

Charles Town: Charles Town Classic (Grade 2) 1m1f | dirt | 4yo+

Veteran jockey Edgar Prado partnered Something Awesome (Jose Corrales) to a lucrative success on Saturday when the seven-year-old edged out War Story in the $1.2 million Charles Town Classic.

Having lost his first eight starts of 2017, the son of owner Frank Stronach's Awesome Again is now five-for-six for Laurel-based trainer Jose Corrales, for whom he was a a first Graded-stakes winner in a Grade 3 event in February, where he had also claimed minor events at the end of last year.

Switching to dirt from the Tapeta at Woodbine has been a factor in the gelding's recent improvement.

"Every time he runs, he proves he can do what I am asking," Corrales said, speaking to the Daily Racing Form. "I keep adding difficulty to his races a little at a time and he keeps doing it. He was a fighter in the stretch today."

With favourite DIversify having folded tamely, War Story and three-wide Something Awesome challenged the leader Afleet Willy on the final turn for home at the tight West Virginia 'bull ring',

As Afleet Willy gave way, 9-1 shot Something Awesome fought hard to get the better of War Story by a neck and claim a rich prize.

With more than 7,200 winners to his name altogether, winning jockey Prado, 50, stands firmly in the all-time top ten for career victories and won the Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding rider in 2006, when he won the Kentucky Derby on Barbaro.

"It was beautiful - he sat right behind the speed," Prado said. "He was kind of anxious at the beginning. He wanted to go after the leaders early, so I kind of took my time and tucked right behind horses, and I waited a little bit longer."

Three times champion jockey by wins, the Peruvian-born Hall of Fame rider has rarely been a less regular presence on the major stages as he reaches the twilight of his career, though he did partner Runhappy to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint in 2015 and enjoyed a multiple Grade 1-winning association with top turf filly Miss Temple City.

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