Right now, it appears that 2020 will be a battle of the geriatric tyrannosaurs, old Trump versus old Biden. Yawn. Belmont S.-G1 day, however, was a triumph for the senior citizens of Adena Springs, with the Belmont being won by Sir Winston, a son of Awesome Again, and the Acorn S.-G1 being won by Guarana, a daughter of Ghostzapper (in only her second start), a granddaughter of Awesome Again. You can’t count these old boys out.

At one point, Awesome Again was the most prized stallion on the planet, at least in part because of the brilliance of his son, Ghostzapper. Ghostzapper was a bona fide freak, a thrillingly fast horse capable of running the last quarter of a race in a faster time than the first quarter, breaking the hearts and spirits of capable opponents. A foal of Awesome Again’s 2000 crop, Ghostzapper raced from two to five, earned over $3.4 million, and a list of his grade one wins alone can’t help but impress: the Vosburgh S., the Breeders’ Cup Classic S., the Woodward S., and the Metropolitan H. A small, well-made horse who now stands for $85,000, he is the product of classic Stronach breeding, adding In Reality and La Troienne to the classic bloodlines of Awesome Again. Ghostzapper’s dam, Baby Zip, featured In Reality and La Troienne in her pedigree, a Stronach motif, and was also the dam of the great City Zip.

Old dad, Awesome Again, a 1994 foal of the wonderful Deputy Minister (a horse whom, when you visited him, would just as soon bite you as be adored by you, and who had some of the funkiest front legs ever seen on a great sire), was no slouch on the track either, with his list of grade one wins much like his freakish son’s: the Travers S., the Breeders’ Cup Classic S., the Whitney S., for a total of over $4.3 million. Putting Deputy Minister together with the Blushing Groom mare Primal Force was simply smart, and, with a Mr. Prospector second dam, speed and endurance were added to Deputy Minister’s sires’ side, and a dynasty was created. It’s worth noting that Awesome Again’s half-brother, Macho Uno, was a son of Holy Bull, more building up of In Reality and La Troienne; Frank Stronach always favored the gritty American speed pedigree of the beloved Holy Bull.

In an era when promising and exciting first crop stallions like American Pharoah, and coming up behind him Justify and Arrogate, are the toast of the sales ring, it’s worth remembering the senior citizens who can still, on a big race day, produce the grade one winning offspring—Awesome Again and Ghostzapper, like Lebron James of the Lakers, are still capable of being game changers. Maybe Trump versus Biden won’t be snooze-inducing—Belmont Day certainly wasn’t.

-- Roberta Smoodin