Awesome Aaron Claims Grade 3 Pimlico Special Stakes in Gritty Performance

Awesome Aaron, a 6-year-old gelding by Practical Joke, delivered a determined performance to capture the prestigious Grade 3 Pimlico Special Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and trained by Norm Casse, Awesome Aaron battled down the stretch to secure his first graded stakes victory in a final time of 1:56.67 for the 1 3/16 miles distance.

The victory was a significant milestone for Awesome Aaron, who was claimed by Casse for $40,000 in September 2024. The win marked his sixth career victory in 34 starts and boosted his earnings significantly.

The race unfolded with Encino initially taking the lead, setting fractions of :23.26 for the quarter-mile and :47.17 for the half-mile. Phileas Fogg, under Kendrick Carmouche, pressed the pace on the outside. Awesome Aaron, who broke well, settled into a comfortable stalking position, racing three-wide and then in about fifth place through the early and middle stages of the race.

As the field turned for home, Phileas Fogg took command, appearing poised for victory. However, Awesome Aaron, under urging from Velazquez, launched a determined rally on the outside. In a thrilling stretch duel, Awesome Aaron engaged Phileas Fogg, brushed with his rival in deep stretch, and ultimately powered past in the final seventy yards to win by three-quarters of a length.

Phileas Fogg held on gamely for second, 4 3/4 lengths clear of the 9-5 favorite, Star of Wonder, who finished third. San Siro completed the superfecta.

Completing the order of finish were Cataleya Strike, Time for Trouble, Encino, Just Steel, and Red Route One.

Trainer Norm Casse, who watched the race from Kentucky, credited the removal of blinkers in Awesome Aaron’s previous start at Oaklawn Park – a race in which he earned an impressive 104 Beyer Speed Figure – as a key factor in the gelding’s improved form. “Just from Day One since we got him, he acted like a really good horse,” Casse stated. “It was pretty obvious to me, basically right away, at some point we were going to stretch him out… So last time we just took the blinkers off, and that allowed him to settle just a little bit more, let him finish a little bit better.”

Jockey John Velazquez praised the horse’s fighting spirit: “He put in a really good fight in the lane. The horse (Phileas Fogg) came out and kind of bumped him a couple of times, but he still went by him.”

The Pimlico Special, a race with a rich history, was run under cloudy skies with the track rated as fast (sealed). Interestingly, the race concluded just minutes before a violent storm swept through the area.

Awesome Aaron is owned by Turman Racing Stable, LLC and AJ Suited Racing Stable LLC, and was bred in Kentucky by Lester Kwok & Dr. Naoya Yoshida.

Scratched Horse(s): Pyrenees (Trainer)

Fractional Times: 23.26 47.17 1:11.25 1:36.72
Final Time: 1:56.67

Winning Connections

Winner: Awesome Aaron
Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Norm Casse
Owner: Turman Racing Stable, LLC and AJ Suited Racing Stable LLC
Breeder: Lester Kwok & Dr. Naoya Yoshida
Bloodline: Bay Gelding, by Practical Joke out of Do the Dance, by Discreet Cat. Foaled Apr 07, 2019 in Kentucky
Practical Joke stands at Ashford Stud, in Versailles, KY ($100,000 Live Foal / Stands & Nurses)

Payouts

• $1 EXACTA (4-1) Paid: $39.20
• $1 SUPERFECTA (4-1-8-10) Paid: $771.00
• $1 TRIFECTA (4-1-8) Paid: $123.70

Race Replay