Awesome Gem has now banked over $2 million after registering a smart victory over Rail Trip in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Group 1 in the United States on Saturday.

Winner of the 2009 GII Hawthorne Gold Cup, the chestnut was subsequentlyseventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, a race in which he was third in 2007, and went to the sidelines. Eighth in the GI Kilroe Mile H. going a grassy mile Mar. 6, he was third in the GII New Orleans H. Mar. 27 and completed the exacta in his last two outings, the Apr. 17 Charles Town Classic and behind the progressive Redding Colliery (Mineshaft) in the GIII Lone Star Park H. May 31.

Thrilled to be able to walk out of his barn and run at his home track for just the seventh time in his career, he was given at least some respect at the mutuel windows and was able to pull the upset. The complexion of the race changed markedly right at the break when Tres Borrachos (Ecton Park), an expected pace presence, hopped and was ultimately held up by Victor Espinoza. That allowed Compari (Redattore {Brz}) to take up the running, and he slowed the pace down to a near crawl, covering the opening quarter in :25.82 and the half in :50.95. Rail Trip and Rafael Bejarano were wide into the clubhouse turn, and the rider had the opportunity to send his heavily favored mount forward to hound Compari, but instead took back. That decision allowed both Cigar Man (Drewman) and Richard's Kid (Lemon Drop Kid) to advance inside and committed Rail Trip to a nightmarish four-wide trip. That would prove his undoing, as he gained in the middle of the track and loomed a threat, but Awesome Gem, who saved all the ground and enjoyed a much softer trip, was steered to the fence offCompari's heels inside the final furlong and outfinished Rail Trip for the win.

"Everybody went at the half-mile, and I tried not to lose my position and wait for that pocket to come at the end," said winning rider David Flores. "[Jockey] Mike Smith [on Compari] was about ready to shut off the hole but he looked like he ran out of horse so it was very nice of him to leave me that spot. When that hole opened up I couldn't look for any better spot than that."