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BENSALEM, Pa. -- The gate was full for the Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones at Parx Racing on Monday as 14 3-year-olds went to the post in the 1-1/16-mile stakes. But when the gates opened, Paco Lopez quickly turned the race into a one-horse affair as he smoothly put Awesome Slew on the lead from post 14.I used to ride Quarter Horses, you know, Lopez joked after the race.Once Awesome Slew made the front, the race was basically over. He ran his rivals off their feet, held an eight-length lead at the furlong pole, and coasted home under mild urging to win by seven lengths. He paid $23.80 and was timed in 1:42.92.Wild About Deb finished second, four lengths ahead of Seeking the Soul.Awesome Slews performance has been a long time in the making. A son of Awesome Again owned by the Live Oak Plantation of Charlotte Weber, he has had to overcome a lot of adversity for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., who has made quite clear this summer how highly he thinks of the colt.Awesome Slew came out of a fourth-place finish last year in the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga with an ankle chip, then got very sick over the winter in Florida with colitis. Since recovering, he has had to play catch-up all season.Plesa finally thought he had Awesome Slew at his best for the Haskell Invitational, but the track came up sloppy, and the horse didnt handle it, losing by 32 lengths.Its like you cant keep coming up with excuses, Plesa said. This win is very gratifying. Paco deserves a ton of credit, and so does the horse and my entire crew, especially the head of the team, Charlotte Weber.The Smarty Jones win was especially meaningful, Plesa said, because the race is named after Smarty Jones, whom his brother-in-law John Servis, sent out to win the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness.Awesome Slews win didnt appear to take much out of him, but Plesa said he most likely wouldnt wheel him back in 19 days in the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby.My gut feeling is probably not, Plesa said, but I will listen to him extra hard and see what he tells me. Its a little quick to come back against that caliber of horses.The win capped a big weekend at Parx for Lopez, who on Saturday guided Cathryn Sophia to an easy victory in the $150,000 Princess of Sylmar Stakes for Servis. The race was a prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, where Cathryn Sophia is expected to meet the still-undefeated 2-year-old filly champion of 2015, Songbird. 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Carlos Lee Jersey Large .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights.Its make or break time for the Sky Academy Sports Scholars as they enter the final stages of their battle to make the Rio Olympics. The brutal truth is that some of the Scholars will be on that plane to Brazil in the summer. Some will not. Tony Lester, Scholarship boss since 2013, has seen it all and hes only too aware of the challenges awaiting the athletes.As a coach, hes steered runners Roger Black and Marlon Devonish to Olympic glory. For the journey to Rio, hes been wearing his Sky hat, nurturing some of Britains and Irelands top talent by overseeing an extensive tailored programme of support, with a little less shouting trackside.So what does the next six months hold for the Scholars? How calm are they? What makes an Olympic champion?Here are Tonys thoughts on a thrilling and gut-wrenching climax to the latest cycle of the Sky Academy Sports Scholarship programme...The clock is ticking. For many of these guys, its a key time in their careers. Only two of the Scholars have qualified - runner Mark English and pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw - but they still have to show fitness and if something happens like losing form or an injury then theyll be playing catch up.Its a tough time and the pressures on. They have to deliver, stay in shape and laser their focus on getting the job done. Its a two-part job now. The first is getting on the plane to Rio. The second is to compete and deliver. Usain Bolt: Has become the saviour of athletics Its sport though and theres no half measure. Its all or nothing. For these guys who are up against it in terms of qualifying, theyve had four years to prepare for this. It will be the first attempt at making an Olympics for some, for others it will be their second.The ones on the second round of trying to make it and not succeeding, its hard but lessons will be learned. Every time a mistake is made, something is learned.All the Scholars are excited and looking forward to the next six months. Some are competing, preparing for the indoor season, some are on training camps and some are just doing their thing. They know they are halfway down the road to Rio and others know its a long way to go and still have to clear a lot of obstacles.We cant afford to get involved in any emotional distractions though. Im not their coach, Sky as a business arent their coaches, so we have to stand back and watch the story unfold.I can be distant from all of this but because you know what theyre going through with all the emotions and pressures, I can become that other mentor. Tonys commitment to nurturing the Scholars has taken him to the US Ive been with Olympic teams and gone through the selection process and I can talk to them at that level. But I never get involved in the coaching aspect. I caant afford to give wrong messages.ddddddddddddI wont impose my opinions heavily because that creates a conflict between me and the coach. I stand back. I can speak to the Scholars about agents and other stuff, but ultimately its their career and not mine.I started leading the Scholarship in 2013. The scheme involving the London Scholars was really a pilot to see how Sky could get involved and support British athletes. The learning from this is we can be a lot broader.I made the call to go for Olympic sports again. For the majority of athletes, an Olympics is the pinnacle of their sport, whereas in football or rugby you have World Cups. But going forward we are starting to engage with other sports.What makes an Olympic champion is something Im often asked. You need talent. You cant become a champion without being good at what you do. You need to perfect you craft, day in, day out, with diligence and toughness. Speed skater Dan Jansen experienced an emotional Winter Games in 1988 But one other thing you need is a lot of luck. You can be the best in the world but a week out from a Games you can catch a virus or pull a muscle or land heavily. You cannot undo that damage.For anybody who doesnt know the story of speed skater Dan Jansen I suggest you look him up. The American overcame grief to win Olympic gold in the final race of his career in 1994 in Lillehammer. His story is what makes an Olympic champion. Check him out please.My other Olympic heroes are two people for very different reasons.From my era it has to be Daley Thompson, as he epitomises the true values of hard work, total self-belief and he was not afraid to show in class with his in your face attitude to all those who dared to challenge his superiority.Plus theres Usain Bolt, as being Jamaican I have a strong loyalty to my heritage. Jamaica has had a history of producing great sprinters from such a small island, this makes me extremely proud to be Jamaican. Tony coached while he was in the army before linking up with the GB team Furthermore Usain has become the saviour of a currently dysfunctional sport that sadly we all still love, and live in hope of it cleaning up its act.And so its down to the final six months for the Scholars. Is there one bit of advice Id offer them?Stick to the task and dont change your plans - youve done it all already. Why would you change what youve done over the last three years?Its worked so far, so any changes now would mean youre panicking or youve lost your self-belief. Keep that simplicity. Also See: About the Scholarship Meet the athletes Blogs Videos Galleries ' ' '