Awesome Czech Another Mendelssohn Stakes Winner
Barry Schwartz’ homebred Awesome Czech (4f Mendelssohn x Marvelous Martina, by Awesome Again) visited the Saratoga winner’s circle for the fourth time in her career on Friday with a victory in the Yaddo Stakes.
Looking to add a Saratoga stakes victory to her resume for the second straight year in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, she was keen early when situated behind the leaders. Ricardo Santana Jr. was able to get her to settle down the backstretch and she waited patiently for his command around the far turn.
Sent four paths wide into the stretch, she got to work chasing down the leaders to be in contention going into the final furlong. Digging even deeper, she got up just in time to win by half a length for a fifth career victory.
Trained by Horacio De Paz, the filly also won an Allowance here on July 4 and registered two Saratoga victories last year as well.
This is one of two runners out of the winning Awesome Again mare Marvelous Martina. That mare’s granddam is a half-sister to Grade I winner and successful broodmare Cara Rafaela, who produced champion Bernardini and Grade I-placed Ile de France.
Ile de France’s three stakes winners include dual Grade I winner Love and Pride with this family also including Group I winner Secret Garden and Grade II winner Thiskyhasnolimit.
Marvelous Martina foaled a filly by Mendelssohn this year.
Mendelssohn leads all fourth crop sires by winners in 2025 and is second to only Justify by stakes performers with 20 – that number also putting him 10th among all North American sires. His six 2025 stakes winners also puts him fourth in the crop.