Awaken

The striking thing about Awaken is that she performs best at middle distances between five and six and a half furlongs, winning one of four races at that trip—a win rate of 25 percent—suggesting there is genuine quality lurking beneath the surface. When paired with jockey Billy Loughnane, her record improves again: they have won one from five races together, a 20 percent win rate that is considerably better than her overall numbers. This matters because it hints at the kind of partnership and confidence that can unlock improvement. At the highest level—Class 1 races—she has yet to win from three attempts, but recent work suggests she is building toward something. Boughey plans to run her in a trial race ahead of the Nell Gwyn Stakes, one of the season's significant tests for three-year-olds, and has noted that her physical condition and daily work have both improved markedly on the year before. After a frustrating twelve months, Awaken appears to be heading in the right direction.