Awesome Again Stakes (Grade 1)

BOB Baffert lectured Mike Smith after the Hall of Fame jockey rode McKinzie to a troubled second in the Met Mile at Belmont Park in June.

“You’re not riding him with a lot of confidence,” Baffert said to Smith. “This is one of the best horses I’ve ever trained.”

Smith responded with a flawless ride aboard McKinzie in the Whitney at Saratoga. A race later, Baffert skipped the lecture and fired Smith.

Smith rated McKinzie behind longshot Mongolian Groom in the Grade 1 Awesome Again at Santa Anita last Sunday.

The tactic backfired as the 25/1 kept rolling to ouster McKinzie by two and a quarter lengths. Baffert didn’t like it and announced that he was replacing Smith for the Breeders’ Cup.

As for Mongolian Groom, well, it was a shocker for Mongolian Stable, trainer Enebish Ganbat and jockey Abel Cedillo. The four-year-old son of Hightail snapped a seven-race losing streak to earn his third career victory.

“Thank you Enebish Ganbat, for trusting me,” Cedillo said. “He told me don’t change anything, just do what you do with him, just stay close, and I saw McKinzie didn’t go so I took the lead.”

That was the deciding factor in the Awesome Again and in the McKinzie saga.

The Mongolia-born, Russian-educated Ganbat was shocked his horse upended McKinzie and Grade 1 winner Higher Power, trained by John Sadler, who wound up third.

Mongolian Groom had finished third behind Gift Box and McKinzie in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in April and third behind Higher Power and Draft Pick in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic in August.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect he was going to win because he was running against two of the best horses on the dirt and the best two trainers, Baffert and Sadler,” Ganbat said. “I told everyone I’m happy if he comes in third. I bet $500 on show.”

Ganbat earned $18,000 for the trainer’s percentage and $750 for the bet.