Abel Tasman more than able in Ogden Phipps Stakes win

ELMONT, N.Y. – The champ is back.

Abel Tasman, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2017 who disappointed in her 4-year-old debut, made amends in a big way Saturday, cruising to a 7 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1, $750,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park.

Ivy Bell finished second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of stablemate Unbridled Mo. Pacific Wind, Unchained Melody, and Berned completed the order of finish.

Abel Tasman, trained by Bob Baffert for the China Horse Club, won for the seventh time in 13 starts. She increased her earnings to $2,412,385.

“It’s good to see these great mares back,” Baffert said. “She was champion; you want to see these champions run well.”

Abel Tasman did not run well in the Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs on May 4. But it turned out that she needed that race more than Baffert had expected and finished fourth.

“I knew she needed that race at Churchill Downs. I was sort of disappointed she didn’t run well,” Baffert said. “You could tell the light turned on when she got back to California and trained aggressive again. She couldn’t have looked any better.”

As is her nature, Abel Tasman, ridden by Mike Smith, broke slowly and was fourth out of the gate. Smith put her in the clear, and she dragged him to the lead after an opening quarter in 23.58 seconds.

Abel Tasman cruised through a half-mile in 46.36 and six furlongs in 1:10.05. She put away a quarter-pole challenge from Pacific Wind and galloped home an easy winner.

Abel Tasman, who won the Grade 1 Acorn as a 3-year-old here on Belmont Stakes Day, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.36 and returned $4 as the even-money favorite.

“She does that every time – she gets away slow, and then she makes that big middle move,” Smith said. “Sometimes it’s better to let her do it if they’re going slow. If they’re going fast and she does it, that’s when I’ve gotten myself in trouble, and that’s happened before. But they were going easy enough, so I was okay.”

Smith added that he feels Abel Tasman “really loves this surface, she loves Belmont Park. Last year, she was just incredible over this track.”

The Phipps is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs in November. Baffert said that race is the year-end goal for Abel Tasman. How she gets there remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see her back in New York for the Personal Ensign at Saratoga in August and/or the Beldame at Belmont in the fall.