Horse Profile: Awesome Result

Breeders' Cup Distaff Scouting Report

(Editor's note: Originally published in the 2024 BRISnet Breeders' Cup International Report)

Can all-world sire Justify achieve a Distaff-Classic double with international shippers? Before City of Troy takes his dirt test in the Classic, Justify has Awesome Result, an unbeaten Japanese dirt star, going in the Distaff. She captured the same prep that launched Marche Lorraine, who upset the 2021 Distaff at Del Mar for Japan.

Like City of Troy, Awesome Result was bred in Kentucky by the Coolmore-affiliated Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt. She is a half-sister to 2018 Spinaway (G1) heroine Sippican Harbor, who was sixth in that fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. They are out of Blossomed, a daughter of the terrific broodmare sire Deputy Minister.

Awesome Result’s ownership, Insel Racing Co., is an entity of Masaaki Matsushima. A close friend of legendary jockey Yutaka Take, Matsushima has been involved in Coolmore partnerships with such top-level campaigners as Broome (the 2021 Turf runner-up) and Japan. Matsushima is also a co-owner of the Joseph O’Brien-trained Al Riffa. 

Awesome Result will be the second Breeders’ Cup starter for trainer Yasutoshi Ikee, following Trailblazer, the fourth-placer in the 2012 Turf. Best known for training Orfevre, the Japanese Triple Crown winner who came achingly close in the 2012 Arc, Ikee has also developed such champions as Dream Journey, Lovely Day, Satono Diamond, and Mikki Queen. His latest international success came courtesy of Silver Sonic in the 2023 Red Sea Turf H. (G3) on Saudi Cup Day.

A perfect 7-for-7 so far, Awesome Result has been favored in every race except her debut as a juvenile. The first five of those starts came against males.

Awesome Result went off as the second choice in an about 1 1/8-mile newcomers’ race at Hanshin in 2022. With Take aboard, she rolled from sixth to score handily by 2 1/2 lengths. 

Sidelined by injury until the summer of 2023, Awesome Result returned to the same track and trip to win a pair of allowances as the heavy odds-on favorite. In an entry-level allowance, she stalked in third and pounced to prevail by three lengths. Graduating to a second-level allowance, she broke awkwardly but recovered to put herself in a reasonable position, easily passed the leaders in the lane, and coasted late. Awesome Result climbed the next rung of the class ladder at Tokyo in an about 1 5/16-mile affair in the mud, tracking in second before striding clear with a minimum of effort.

Up to an open-class event in the Feb. 4 Aldebaran S. at Kyoto, Awesome Result justified even-money favoritism while picking up some useful collateral form. Breaking from the far outside post 12, she was reserved near the rear early, advanced via the overland route to contend turning for home, and struck the front under confident handling from Take. 

Then Hapi rallied up the rail in hopes of catching her by surprise. But Take just kept her to task, and Awesome Result appeared to be toying with him in a three-quarters of a length decision. In fairness, she was getting almost nine pounds from the older males. Hapi, the third-placer in the 2022 Champions Cup (G1), is a veteran of the dirt scene who’s also chased the likes of rising star Yamanin Ours, Peptide Nile, and William Barows (see Ushba Tesoro in the Classic). 

Awesome Result joined all-female company only for her black-type stakes appearances. In the May 8 Empress Hai at Kawasaki, she broke alertly to attend the pace, took the lead herself entering the homestretch for the first time, and kicked away in the final stretch. Then she idled a bit to let defending champion Grand Bridge get to her throat-latch. Even so, Take felt that Awesome Result remained firmly in control with a neck to spare at the wire.

Grand Bridge, a mainstay among the Japanese dirt distaffers, also furnishes collateral form with notable males. In her ensuing start, she was fourth in the Teio Sho to King’s Sword and Wilson Tesoro (the fourth-placer in the Dubai World Cup). 

Last time out in the Aug. 27 Breeders’ Gold Cup at a sloppy Mombetsu, Awesome Result delivered her most dominant performance so far. She secured a good tracking position, disposed of the leader on the final turn, and drew off by five under a Take hand ride. 

Awesome Result is maturing mentally and physically just in time for her Breeders’ Cup tilt, and her tactical flexibility is a plus. Yet the lightly-raced four-year-old doesn’t have the experience of the battle-hardened Marche Lorraine. A five-year-old in 2021, Marche Lorraine scored her Mombetsu prep victory in her 20th career start.

In lieu of miles on the clock, Awesome Result brings the tantalizing appeal of a filly who appears to do everything easily. If we can take that literally, she’s capable of rising to greater occasions.