Stronach Stables’ Awesome Feather, winner of the 2010 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I), returned to the races with a victory in the $60,000 Le Slew Stakes Oct. 5 at Belmont Park (VIDEO).
The 3-year-old Awesome of Course filly, sidelined since the Breeders’ Cup with a tendon injury, is now seven-for-seven in her career. The 2-year-old filly champion was purchased by Stronach Stables for $2.3 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale last year just after the Breeders’ Cup.
Awesome Feather stalked front-running Flying Train before taking over in the stretch and pulling away to win the seven-furlong Le Slew by two lengths in 1:22.76 on a fast track.
“There was a lot of pressure today,” trainer Chad Brown said. “She had been training very well. You can never have a horse coming off this type of injury at a full fitness level. We brought her in here a little short fitness-wise, but nice and sound and healthy.
“We figured this was as close as we were going to get and gave her a shot, and she ran really well. She had a pretty standard bowed tendon, which is a lesion in the tendon. She’s a special horse, she’s got special owners.”
Jockey Jeffrey Sanchez, who has ridden Awesome Feather in all of her races, said he “used the stick on her twice, and she finished up nicely.”
Brown said he would discuss plans for Awesome Feather with Stronach Stables after he sees that she exited the Belmont race in good order. The filly has earned $1,531,746.