Abel Tasman, in Personal Ensign, out-battles Elate again

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Another terrific race between Abel Tasman and Elate at Saratoga ended with another Abel Tasman victory - and another controversy.

One year after Abel Tasman defeated Elate by a head in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, Abel Tasman defeated Elate by a neck in Saturday’s Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign Stakes.

Last year, Abel Tasman and Mike Smith withstood a stewards’ inquiry for tightening things up late on Elate. On Saturday, Abel Tasman had to withstand a jockey’s objection when the two fillies bumped hard in deep stretch. Elate jockey Jose Ortiz claimed foul on Smith and Abel Tasman, but the stewards let the result stand.

That decision led the fans to boo during the winner’s circle presentation, and that frustrated the usually subdued Bill Mott, trainer of Elate.

“The only way he can beat us is if he bothers us,” Mott said, referring to trainer Bob Baffert. “Last year, it was questionable. This year, I don’t know, it’s the wild, wild west, I guess. The rider almost came off.”

Mott felt that Smith and Abel Tasman came over several paths and initiated the contact that knocked Elate off stride, costing her a chance to win.

“He rammed us pretty good, we didn’t ram him,” Mott said. “My filly drifted down a little bit but then she kept on her straight course and then that one came out and got us. … I try to be objective, and being objective, I don’t like the call.”

Ortiz was also frustrated.

“You couldn’t miss it,” Ortiz said. “He clearly came out, knocked my filly off balance, knocked me off balance and beat me by a neck. I think [Abel Tasman] should have come down, 100 percent.”

Smith naturally disagreed, saying both were at equal fault.

“We just kind of came together, I didn’t herd him at all and she wasn’t going to let him by no matter what,” Smith said. “And he came back and bumped me. I don’t think it bothered either one of us.”

The stewards agreed with Smith. In a statement released by the New York State Gaming Commission, the stewards said “the incident did not alter the order of finish.”

The controversy clouded a fabulous effort from both fillies.

Abel Tasman, who hadn’t run since June 9 when she won the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont, took over from pace-setting longshot She Takes Heart right after a half-mile was run in 46.62 seconds.

“She grabs a hold of you early, we’ve seen her do that before,” Smith said. “Sometimes you got to go with it, man.”

Going into the far turn Ortiz had Elate following Abel Tasman before guiding her to the outside turning for home. In the stretch, Ortiz kept Elate a few paths away from Abel Tasman before moving her toward Abel Tasman. Smith, using his left-hand whip, had Abel Tasman come out to see Elate and that’s when the two bumped.

Elate got turned sideways and Abel Tasman was able to prevail. Abel Tasman covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.19 and returned $3.50 as the 3-5 favorite.

Abel Tasman trainer Bob Baffert said he didn’t see the bump live and when he saw the replay he felt confident the result would stand.

“I wasn’t too worried,” Baffert said. “If it would have been a nose or something, but Abel was widening on her at the end. But you don’t like to see objections. I told Mike when he came back, ‘Mike, you’re killing me.’ I’m just proud of the fact we had her ready, we brought her here and she ran really well.”

The win was the eighth in 14 starts and sixth Grade 1 score for Abel Tasman, last year’s champion 3-year-old filly and a daughter of Quality Road owned by China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms.

Elate finished second by 9 3/4 lengths over Wow Cat, who was followed, in order, by Fuhriously Kissed, Farrell, and She Takes Heart.

Abel Tasman earned a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3 as part of the “Win and You’re In” program. No doubt, she will encounter Elate there again.