in his career that he finished out of the money. 1998: four-year-old campaign Awesome Again made his four-year-old debut on May 22, 1998 in an allowance race at Churchill Downs. Going off as the heavy favorite, he duelled for the early lead with Democrat, then pulled away in the stretch to win by seven lengths. On June 13, he faced off with champion Silver Charm in the Stephen Foster Handicap. Silver Charm, winner of the 1997 Kentucky Derby and 1998 Dubai World Cup, was the odds-on favorite despite carrying top weight of 127 pounds. Now ridden by Pat Day, Awesome Again was the third betting choice at 6–1 while carrying only 113 pounds. He rated close to Silver Charm behind the early pace set by Robb. Silver Charm made his move first, hitting the lead when turning for home. Awesome Again closed ground steadily down the stretch, as both horses started to drift. They bumped with half a furlong remaining in the race. Awesome Again drew clear in the final strides to win by a length, with Silver Charm more than five lengths ahead of the third-place finisher. He completed the distance of miles in 1:48, just one-fifth off the track record. After a brief layoff, Awesome Again made his next start in the Whitney Handicap on August 8 at Saratoga. He went off as the 3–2 favorite while carrying 117 pounds, compared to second-favorite Tale of the Cat carrying 114 pounds. The two horses went to the lead while running the first quarter-mile in a leisurely 25.01 seconds. The pace then picked up down the backstretch as the two traded positions. Tale of the Cat opened a one length lead on the final turn but Awesome Again responded and took the lead back in mid-stretch, then continued to draw away to win by three lengths. "They were walking out there," said Day, referring to the slow early pace. "At the three-eighths pole, my horse was so relaxed I didn't know if we were out of the race or if he was just loafing. When I realized he had a lot left in him, I knew we were in the driver's seat." On August 30, Awesome Again was entered in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap, where he went off as the 1–4 favorite despite carrying top weight of 120 pounds. He stalked the early pace set by Early Warning, while