Florida-bred Awesome Strong made the first start of his career a winning one at Gulfstream Park on Friday, May 6, impressively running away from a maiden special weight field by a widening six lengths to become the first winner for Ocala Stud’s Awesome Slew.

Ridden by Miguel Vasquez, Awesome Strong fled his rail post in a hurry but was forced to check back to await running room down the backstretch. He angled out on the far turn and easily collared the pacesetter before driving clear in the stretch. He rolled to the wire unchallenged late, stopping the timer for 4 ½ furlongs in a lively :51.62. Awesome Strong signaled his readiness ahead of the sharp debut, recording a four-furlong bullet of :47 at Gulfstream on April 29.

Owned by Elena Racing Inc., and trained by Jorge Delgado, Awesome Strong is out of the Pleasant Tap mare Pleasant Ring. The precocious chestnut colt was purchased for $30,000 at the 2021 OBS October Yearling Sale. The colt hails from a strong black-type family and is a half-brother to near-millionaire Bad Debt, a multiple stakes winner of $838,300. This is also the family of multiple Graded stakes winner Freefourinternet and stakes winner Pleasant Chimes.

A Live Oak Stud homebred, Awesome Slew won stakes ranging in distance from seven furlongs to 1 1/16 miles and won or placed in 12 Graded stakes over three seasons and over nine different racetracks, recording five triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures. He was a dominating winner of the Smarty Jones S. (G3) at PARX at three in 2016. The following season he captured the Commonwealth S. (G3) at Keeneland and the Ack Ack S. (G3) at Churchill Downs, earning triple-digit Beyers in the latter two.

By Awesome Again, Awesome Slew is out of the stakes-winning and Graded stakes-placed Seeking the Gold mare Slewfoundmoney. The first four dams in his female family were all stakes winners and each has produced at least two stakes horses.

Awesome Slew stands for $5,000 S&N. For more information, contact David or Joe O’Farrell at (352) 237-2171.