2018 Eclipse Awards: Abel Tasman

If she were not a top-class racehorse Abel Tasman could have been a house pet.

“She was one of the sweetest mares,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “She was sweet and kind, like a female version of American Pharoah. You could send a child to her stall to pet her.”

On the racetrack, Abel Tasman was all business. Her five-start 2018 campaign under jockey Mike Smith included two dramatic Grade 1 wins, enough to make her an Eclipse Award finalist as champion older dirt female. This followed a 2017 campaign in which she won the Kentucky Oaks, finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and was named champion 3-year-old filly.

So, yes, expectations were high for Abel Tasman in 2018. Following a winter freshening, Abel Tasman worked fast for her spring comeback. After five successive bullet drills at Santa Anita, she seemed ready to fire in her first start back.

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But morning works are one thing, afternoon racing is another, and the year did not begin well for Abel Tasman. She returned May 4 at Churchill Downs, favored at odds-on in the Grade 1 La Troienne. Abel Tasman broke fine, dropped to the rear of the small field, made a little move on the far turn and into the lane, then sputtered and finished fourth.

“She just never really got engaged,” Baffert said.

Abel Tasman was flat. She returned home to California to start over, and it was soon apparent the comeback race served its purpose. Abel Tasman woke up.

“She came back and worked really well,” Baffert said. “I took her back to New York, and she just smoked ’em.”

Favored at even-money in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 9 at Belmont Park, Abel Tasman produced more speed than she did in her comeback. She pressed the pace and ran away to win the 1 1/16-mile race by more than seven lengths. Abel Tasman was back, better than ever.

Baffert could have kept her home for a Grade 1 in July at Del Mar, but chose to train her into the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 25 at Saratoga.

“I wanted to take her to Saratoga and run her against Elate,” he said. “Elate was the filly – she was the good one.”

The Personal Ensign lived up to its billing. Abel Tasman took charge after a half-mile, and at the top of the stretch she was collared by Elate. They raced head-and-head to the wire, and Abel Tasman won by a neck.

“It turned out to be unbelievable, a throw-down,” Baffert said.

The race took its toll on both fillies. Elate has not started since. Abel Tasman lost weight, ran twice more, and finished off the board in both starts.

Abel Tasman, owned by China Horse Club and breeder Clearsky Farms, was sold at the 2019 January Keeneland horses of all ages saleforr a reco-ng $5 million. As of late December, she was the leading earner sired by Quality Road. Abel Tasman has won eight races and $2,793,385 from 16 starts.