Awesome Aaron Beats Rivals and Storm in Pimlico Special

Luck was truly on the side of trainer Norm Casse in the $250,000 Pimlico Special Stakes (G3). He won the 1 3/16-mile stakes with Awesome Aaron, a 6-year-old Practical Joke gelding he claimed for $40,000 Sept. 26, 2024. The race also ended a few minutes before a violent storm passed over Pimlico Race Course, forcing patrons to seek shelter and delaying the card for about an hour and 10 minutes and forcing the cancellation of the 14th and final race. And, Casse watched the race in Kentucky, safe from Mother Nature's wrath in Maryland. "It looks like the Apocalypse," Casse said after the race as he watched the deluge on television. Casse was able to stay dry in Kentucky since his wife, broadcaster Gabby Gaudet, was working at Pimlico and he was taking care of their children. "I stayed here because Gabby is there. I'm being Mr. Mom. So, the kids got to see me go wild. I don't think they had ever seen me do that." The victory was surely a reason to celebrate as Casse took pride in winning a race with a long and storied history with a list of past winners that includes four Triple Crown winners (Citation, Assault, Whirlaway, and War Admiral) and stars like Cigar, Seabiscuit, Tom Fool, Skip Away, and Real Quiet. "It was cool to win a race like that with my wife's connection to Maryland racing. The last Pimlico Special at the old Pimlico, that's really neat. We are very proud of this horse," Casse said. "There are bigger races but there aren't many historical races left and this is one of them. To win this is something I am extremely proud of." Following the claim of Awesome Aaron by Turman Racing Stable, later joined in ownership by AJ Suited Racing Stable, the gelding lost his next five races as Casse tinkered with him. He stretched him out and then, in the 6-year-old's last start, he took the blinkers off and Awesome Aaron responded with a 5 3/4-length score in an April 12 allowance optional claimer at Oaklawn Park. "The last thing to get him over the hump was removing the blinkers," Casse said. Ridden by John Velazquez, Awesome Aaron was fourth in the field of nine early and then rallied strongly in the final furlong to catch Jupiter Stable's Phileas Fogg with about 70 yards left and prevail by three-quarters of a length. Awesome Aaron ($16) was timed in 1:56.67 on a fast (sealed) track for the 1 3/16 miles. Phileas Fogg, an Astern (AUS) gelding trained by Gustavo Rodriguez, was second by 4 3/4 lengths over 9-5 favorite Star of Wonder, a 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Brad Cox. Bred by Lester Kwok and Dr. Naoya Yoshida in Kentucky out of the Discreet Cat mare Do the Dance, Awesome Aaron won for the sixth time in 34 starts and lifted his earnings to $571,263. Casse said he was uncertain of what's next for Awesome Aaron.