China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms' Abel Tasman backed up her May 5 Kentucky Oaks (G1) with a one-length win in the $700,000 Acorn S. (G1) Saturday at Belmont Park.
The 3-year-old filly was one of Bob Baffert's four stakes winners on the Belmont card, and is also his fourth Acorn winner, joining Midnight Lucky (2013), Contested (2012), and Gabby's Golden Gal (2009).
The late-running Abel Tasman took up her usual spot in the back of the seven-horse Acorn filly and was still bringing up the rear after a half-mile that went in :46.79. Entering the turn, she began to reel in the field. Her jockey Mike Smith made the brilliant winning move with about a quarter-mile to run, sending his mount through a narrow opening on the rail and emerging with the lead at the top of the stretch.
Salty, who was fifth in the Oaks, made a run at the eventual winner, but could get no closer than one length at an point. The final time for the mile was 1:35.37.
"With this filly here, she's just getting really good and she showed that the Oaks was not a fluke," said Baffert, who added a trip to Saratoga Race Course for the Aug. 19 Alabama Stakes is on the table for the filly. "She's that good a horse. It was pretty exciting. The quality she has, I just see it in the mornings. She's just getting better and better."
Besides the Oaks, Abel Tasman also won the Starlet S. (G1) as a 2-year-old and became racing's newest millionaire with her $375,000 Acorn payday. Her record now stands at 5-2-0 in eight starts, with earnings of $1,287,060.