Abaco targets Grade 1 Flower Bowl

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Abaco's victory in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa on Saturday was her biggest in four seasons of competition and earned her a trip to the Grade 1 Flower Bowl at Belmont Park.

At 6, an age when most graded-stakes-quality mares have long been retired, Abaco instead has blossomed and is rounding into the best form of her career. On Saturday, Abaco looped her five rivals from last in the 1 1/16-mile Ballston Spa under jockey Jose Ortiz. She forged to the lead outside a hard-trying Strathnaver in the final sixteenth to win by a neck and earned a lifetime-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

"She deserved to win a race like that," trainer Shug McGaughey said Sunday. "We're very pleased with her performance. Our plan as of this morning is to look to the Flower Bowl."

The $600,000 Flower Bowl will be run at 1 1/4 miles on Sept. 27.

Abaco, a daughter of Giant's Causeway, had been knocking on the door in her three starts prior to the $250,000 Ballston Spa but came into the race winless in five starts on the year.

She had finished third, beaten a half-length, in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April; was second behind Riposte in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont in May; and on July 19 had given a typically honest effort to close from 10th to finish fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.

Abaco's career record shows what a consistent performer she has been since her February 2011 debut at Gulfstream Park. Abaco has 6 wins, 8 seconds, and 4 thirds from 24 career starts and earnings of $660,108. Her lone prior graded stakes win came last fall at Churchill Downs in the Grade 3 Cardinal Handicap.

• Bill Mott said Sunday that Filimbi, who finished last as the favorite in the Ballston Spa after racing three wide on both turns, had come out of the race okay.