A late bloomer like many of Awesome Again’s progeny, Awesome Gem didn’t debut until his 3-year-old season. However, he became one of the most endearing horses in the country in his six-year career.
In 2010, he captured his first Grade One win in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) before embarking upon an ultra-successful 8-year-old campaign in 2011. The gutsy veteran won both the Lone Star Park Handicap and Longacres Mile and was second in the Grade One Goodwood and Cornhusker Handicap.
In 2012 he came off the bench to win an allowance race at Golden Gate before capturing the Berkeley Handicap (G3) via disqualification. Awesome Gem was retired September 21 at age nine with earnings of $2,881,370. He competed at 13 different tracks and was a four-time Breeders’ Cup participant. His best finish came in the 2007 Classic when he was third behind Curlin.
Awesome Gem is now living out his days at Old Friends in Kentucky.