Abel Tasman goes for fifth Grade 1 win in Saturday’s Ogden Phipps

By Brian Bohl —-

ELMONT, N.Y. – Four-time Grade 1 winner Abel Tasman will look to make a triumphant return to Belmont Park – and post her first victory of the year – in headlining an accomplished field of eight in the Grade 1, $750,000 Ogden Phipps for older fillies and mares on Saturday.

One of five Grade 1s on a packed undercard leading up to the 150th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, the 50th running of the Ogden Phipps is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 3 at Churchill Downs.

China Horse Club International and Clearsky Farms’ Abel Tasman won her only previous start at Belmont, capturing the Grade 1 Acorn last year on Belmont Stakes Day en route to earning the 2017 Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly. In seven starts in that successful campaign – all against graded stakes company – the Quality Road filly posted three wins and four runner-up finishes, winning the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks.

After rallying for second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 3 at Del Mar, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert gave her a six-month freshening. With Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard, Abel Tasman returned to run fourth in the Grade 1 La Troienne on May 4 at Churchill at the Ogden Phipps’ distance of 1 1/16 miles, though that race was around two turns and Saturday will be a one-turn contest.

Baffert and Smith, who has three wins and three seconds in seven starts aboard the Kentucky bred, will have history on their minds with Justify making a Triple Crown bid later in the day in the “Test of the Champion,” but the duo will also be looking to build on Abel Tasman’s effort in her 4-year-old debut.

“I was really disappointed with the way she ran, but she came back well,” Baffert said. “I think she just needed a race in her. She was away for a while, but I think she should get better. I wanted her to run off a bit, and I think [Smith] should have let her go. I think she really needed that race.”

Abel Tasman, who has already earned more than $2 million in going 6-4-0 in 12 career starts, will break from post 6.

Pacific Wind earned a personal-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure in her one-length win over Highway Star in the Grade 2 Ruffian on May 6 at Belmont. The 4-year-old Curlin filly is 2-for-2 since Chad Brown took over training duties and has three wins in four starts since being moved off the turf.

“She’s going to have to step up,” Brown said. “This is a real Grade 1. But she’s 2-for-2 with us and she’s seems to have really matured and developed into a really fine racehorse on the dirt. She looks and trains like a horse who is going to continue to improve. Off the Ruffian, I think she deserves a shot in a Grade 1. It’s a tough field, though.”

Pacific Wind has been training at Belmont since April and breezed five furlongs in 1:00.01 on June 3 with regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, marking the fastest time in a group of 24 workers.

“She’s doing really well. She worked a bullet a little on the quick side but did it easily,” Brown said. “Hopefully she didn’t to do much, but it’s a sign of how ready she is. She’s really doing well.”

Pacific Wind drew post 4.

Red Oak Stable’s Unbridled Mo is also coming off a career-best Beyer, earning a 95 rating after outkicking Unique Bella by 2 ¼ lengths to win the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap on April 13 at Oaklawn Park.

The Todd Pletcher trainee is 5-for-5 at the Ogden Phipps’ distance and has won three of her last four starts overall as she readies for her first appearance on Belmont’s Big Sandy.

The daughter of Uncle Mo will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez from the rail.

“It was a big win last time,” Pletcher said. “To Unbridled Mo’s credit she was able to put in a sustained run. She’s one that we’ve always thought a lot of, and it was great to see her get a Grade 1 win.

“I guess my greatest concern is the one-turn aspect,” he added. “Her big wins have come in two-turn scenarios but we felt like after a Grade 1 win, it made sense to stay at the Grade 1 level, and hopefully the one-turn part will be OK.”

Pletcher’s other entrant, Ivy Bell, was second in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff on May 5 at Churchill Downs and is cross-entered in Friday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Bed o’ Roses Invitational at seven furlongs. Should she be stretched out, fellow Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will have the assignment from post 2.

Kaleem Shah’s American Gal, who defeated Ivy Bell by two lengths to win the Humana Distaff, will return to 1 1/16 miles for the first time since finishing second, just one length behind Abel Tasman, in the 2016 Grade 1 Starlet.

As a 3-year-old in 2017, American Gal won the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont and the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga and started her 4-year-old year with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Madison on April 7 at Keeneland before earning a personal-best 96 Beyer, finishing strong on Kentucky Derby Day.

In eight career starts, American Gal has posted five wins with each victory coming on a different track – Del Mar, Santa Anita, Belmont, Saratoga and Churchill- while posting a runner-up effort at Los Alamitos.

“It’s nice in regards to winning at different tracks. She’s shown she’s a versatile filly,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “She ships very well. She has a firm disposition and constitution. She handles everything well, and the fact that she’s won over that surface before is a benefit.”

American Gal and Jose Ortiz will depart post 5.

Hidden Brook Farm and Forest Fam’s Unchained Melody made her return from a nearly nine-month layoff in running fifth in the Ruffian, staying a length off pacesetter Faypien though a half mile before tiring. Trainer Brian Lynch said he was pleased with the effort from the 2017 Grade 2 Mother Goose winner, who was vanned off after being pulled up in the Grade 1 Alabama on August 19 at Saratoga.

The 4-year-old Smart Strike filly breezed four furlongs in 47.44 seconds on Saturday at Belmont, the second-fastest of a group of 36.

“We needed that last race. She’s worked back well in between,” Lynch said.” Her last breeze gave us the confidence to say let’s come back and give it another try.”

In a field of deep closers, Lynch said he expects Unchained Melody to be the speed of the race, which she showed in going gate-to-wire in earning a 100 Beyer in a three-length score in last year’s Mother Goose. Joel Rosario will be in the irons from post 7.

“I wouldn’t try to take her out of her game; she’s comfortable on the lead. I’ll leave her alone and let her do her thing,” Lynch said.

Berned successfully stretched out in her last race, winning at one mile and 70 yards in the Serena’s Song on May 12 at Monmouth Park. The 4-year-old by Bernardini won by 1 ¾ lengths coming off three straight seven-furlong sprints for trainer Graham Motion.

“Coming off her last performance, I was encouraged to take a shot in a Grade 1,” Motion said. “It was encouraging. I feel like she’s a better filly this year, and that race enforced my thoughts [seeing] the ran she ran last time.”

Four of Berned’s five starts as a 3-year-old came at distances of at least one mile, including a fourth-place showing in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 23 at Saratoga Race Course. She will also return to the track where she broke her maiden at second asking in the fall of 2016 and have the services of Joe Bravo from the outside post.

“There’s no doubt that plenty of speed helps set up her style,” Motion said. “There’s a chance we’ll have a good pace scenario. I think a good pace will help her and play to her advantage.”

Rounding out the field is Highway Star. The Rodrigo Ubillo trainee, second in the Ruffian, will be going for her first win since the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom on September 24 at Belmont. Jockey Luis Saez drew the assignment out of post 3.

Cover Photo: Abel Tasman; Chelsea Durand Photo