30-to-1 Autism Awareness captures Berkeley Stakes

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05-25) 21:04 PDT -- Rising again when least expected, Autism Awareness prevailed in a four-horse blanket finish for a 30-to-1 upset victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Berkeley Stakes on Monday at Golden Gate Fields.
It was the fourth win in 22 starts for Autism Awareness and his second in a stakes race. His first? A 62-to-1 shocker in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby on March 8, 2008, at Bay Meadows.

"For us, odds don't mean anything," said owner Johnny Taboada, who bought Autism Awareness for only $1,000 in 2006 and chose the name because his 9-year-old son, Renzo, is afflicted with the condition. "A lot of people around the nation have paid attention to him, and I even started a Web site, but they kind of lost interest. I think they'll be noticing him again."

Autism Awareness lost the first 12 starts of his career before breaking his maiden and then winning the El Camino Real Derby. Any hopes of going to the Kentucky Derby were dashed when a bone chip in his left front knee required surgery.

He returned to the races in November and had one allowance win in seven starts prior to the Berkeley Stakes - but he presaged an improved effort when he worked 7 furlongs in a fast 1:25.40 May 15.

"There's nothing like the El Camino Real Derby, but this is very close," Taboada said. "I tried to keep it low-key this week and took my family camping and didn't even talk about the race. But when we came back today at 1 p.m. both of my sons (Marcel is 10) wanted to come to the track, and my wife (Hedieh) thought maybe that was a sign and came along, too."

Autism Awareness ran in fifth place for the first half-mile of Monday's 11/16-mile event as Our Partner set a modest pace with Unusual Smoke and Bold Chieftain in close pursuit. On the second turn, Autism Awareness advanced toward the leaders without any urging from jockey David Lopez.

"By the three-eighths pole, I knew I had a lot of horse, but I didn't want to ask him for everything because there were a lot of good horses behind me that would be coming," Lopez said.

Our Partner and Unusual Smoke dropped out of contention in midstretch, so Bold Chieftain inherited the lead, but Autism Awareness kept coming while Awesome Gem and Medzendeekron closed in behind him. Autism Awareness hit the wire a head in front of Bold Chieftain, who had a head on Awesome Gem, who had a nose on Medzendeekron.

"He likes to be in the clear and that's where David kept him," winning trainer Genaro Vallejo said. "He relaxes a lot more than he did as a young horse, so he can come from off the pace and do a better job."