Slow Down Andy

Slow Down Andy made his debut in a California-bred maiden special weight at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 9, 2021. He stalked the pace and drew off to win by 4 3/4 lengths under Mario Guiterrez, covering 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.17. In his next start, Slow Down Andy was second in the Golden State Juvenile Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 4. 

Slow Down Andy won his first graded stakes race on Dec. 11, when he won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity. He battled with favored Messier down the stretch and got the better of his rival by a length. For his efforts, Slow Down Andy earned 10 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

In his first start of his 3-year-old campaign, Slow Down Andy checked in a non-threatening sixth in the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19. But he rebounded from his disappointing showing in Louisiana with a hard-fought win over Bye Bye Bobby in the Sunland Park Derby on March 27. He earned 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points with the victory.

Slow Down Andy missed the Kentucky Derby due to illness and returned to the track in the 1 1/8-mile Los Alamitos Derby on July 9. He finished second as the even-money favorite to High Connection, and then finished second again when shortened up to seven furlongs in the Real Good Deal Stakes Aug. 5 at Del Mar.

In his next start, Slow Down Andy tried turf for the first time in the Grade 2 Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby on Sept. 3. He set a moderate pace in the 1 1/8-mile race and had enough left in reserve to hold off longshot Spycatcher by a half-length for his third career graded stakes victory. 

Slow Down Andy prepped for the Breeders' Cup with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1, beaten 2 1/4 lengths while outrunning 14-1 odds.

Slow Dow Andy was sent to the Grade 1 $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 5, where he again was sent off at longshot odds, this time 17-1. Slow Down Andy stalked the pace close up in a field of nine and ran on for third, beaten less than two lengths.

Slow Down Andy broke on top and sailed home the winner of the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes Oct. 1 at Santa Anita. In the process, Slow Down Andy earned a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win & You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Slow Down Andy returned for his 4-year-old season and recorded a pair of in-the-money finishes in Del Mar graded stakes races, including a second-place finish in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 29, and a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Sept. 2.

Slow Down Andy's 4-year-old breakthrough came at Santa Anita on Sept. 30 when he won the Grade 1 $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes with a wire-to-wire effort on a wet fast track to top a field of nine. Slow Down Andy was sent off as the 2-1 favorite and won the race by a comfortable 2 1/4-length margin. The Awesome Again was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" race, and with his victory, Slow Down Andy guaranteed himself a pot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 4 back at Santa Anita.

Slow Down Andy is a California-bred homebred for J. Paul Reddam and he is trained by Paul O'Neill. That owner-trainer pair won the 2012 and 2016 Kentucky Derbies with I'll Have Another and Nyquist, respectively.