Acorn Stakes: Sweet Reason regains her best form

ELMONT, N.Y. - After a winter of discontent, Sweet Reason sprang back to life Saturday with a terrific performance, moving past Sweet Whiskey in deep stretch to record a half-length victory in the Grade 1, $750,000 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park.

Sweet Whiskey, a 26-1 shot who took the lead in mid-stretch, finished second by four lengths over Unbridled Forever. She was followed, in order, by Fiftyshadesofgold, Tiz So Sweet, House Rules, My Miss Sophia, the 4-5 favorite; Artemis Agrotera, Fashion Plate, Risque Reality, Lady Paradime, Vero Amore, and Euphrosyne.

The win was the fourth from seven career starts for Sweet Reason, who last year won the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga before finishing a troubled second in the Grade 1 Frizette and fourth as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

This year, Sweet Reason struggled to win her seasonal debut in allowance company before finishing a well-beaten third behind My Miss Sophia in the Grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct in April.

Leah Gyarmati, the trainer of Sweet Reason, said her filly came out of the Gazelle a little lethargic, something that was evident in her blood work, which was a little off.

“There were little things that were off. Nothing major,” Gyarmati said. “Probably just wear and tear from the winter; she probably took it harder than I thought she did going into the race.”

Gyarmati said Sweet Reason started turnings thing around in late April when she began firing off bullet works.

“After we recognized that problem she started working like she never worked before,” Gyarmati said.

Gyarmati said she felt turning back to a one-turn mile would benefit Sweet Reason, because she would get a faster early pace than in her previous two starts.

Fiftyshadesofgold, under Mike Smith, set the early pace, clicking off fractions of 22.86 second for the opening quarter and 45.88 for the half-mile, while being pressed by My Miss Sophia.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. had Sweet Reason in mid-pack while saving ground along the inside.

Turning for home, Fiftyshadesofgold was still in front, challenged by Sweet Whiskey along the inside, as My Miss Sophia had backed up.

Ortiz got Sweet Reason into the three-path in midstretch and she went around a wilting Fiftyshadesofgold while collaring a stubborn Sweet Whiskey late. Sweet Reason, a daughter of Street Sense owned by Jeff Treadway, covered the mile in 1:34.98 and returned $20.80 to win.

“This time we got a fair shot with the pace,” Gyarmati said. “If that was my excuse last time, I thought maybe this time I’d get a chance to see a different race setup for her. … She had all those sharp works. I was a little nervous she might show speed in a race where we didn’t really need to show speed. He got her back perfectly, made his little move, timed it well … just eased her way up there and she just performed. It was just incredible.”

For Todd Pletcher, the trainer of My Miss Sophia and Sweet Whiskey, the Acorn was a mixed bag. My Miss Sophia, the 4-5 favorite, faded to eighth after pressing the pace, while Sweet Whiskey, outran her 32-1 odds to be second.

“I thought we were getting a good trip. We were in good position. We just flattened out the last part,” Pletcher said of My Miss Sophia, the Kentucky Oaks runner-up. “Sweet Whiskey, I thought when she cut the corner she had a big shot, just couldn’t hold off one.”