Curalina prevails in roughly run Acorn

ELMONT, N.Y. – Curalina overcame a very rough beginning in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes to run down By the Moon in deep stretch and win the $750,000 race by a neck. The Acorn was a roughly run race, and several other horses had noteworthy trouble during the mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

Curalina, making only the fourth start of her career, was one of two horses to show at the back of the field leaving the gate and was in last position soon after the start. She recovered and rapidly advanced outside horses under John Velazquez to reach fifth position nearing the far turn of the one-turn mile.

"She came out OK but got squeezed back and then got a little rank on the backstretch," Velazquez said. "I tried to settle her on the turn."

Curalina came four wide into the stretch and finished well while timed in 1:35.13. The Acorn was the second straight stakes score for Todd Pletcher, who in the previous race won the Grade 2 Brooklyn, and his third win from the first seven races on the Belmont Stakes Day card.

Curalina was making only the third start of her career in the Acorn. She finished second in a Saratoga maiden race last July, won a Gulfstream Park maiden race in late March, and pulled away to win a Keenlenad allowance race by more than eight lengths.

"We felt like she was one of our best 2-year-old fillies last year, but unfortunately, she had some baby issues that needed some time," Pletcher said.

Runner-up By the Moon won the Grade 1 Frizette going a mile at Belmont last year at 2 but was sent off at 30-1 after finishing second in the $75,000 Parx Oaks last out to fellow Acorn starter Danzatrice. She rated nicely along the inside while tracking the early leaders – Promise Me Silver and Miss Ella – then blew to an open lead three wide nearing the stretch. She held a two-length lead entering the final furlong and just failed to last.

Third-place finisher Wonder Gal ran well at 16-1 She was making only her second start since finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last fall and her first since April 4. She moved to a contending position along the inside on the backstretch, rallied into the stretch just to the inside of Curalina, battled hard, came up a little short, and finished three-quarters of a length behind By the Moon.

Danzatrice, who tracked the early leaders in third early, raced in traffic while wide on the turn and finished fourth, 4 1/2 lengths behind Wonder Gal and three-quarters of a length in front of the fifth-place Oceanwave.

Miss Ella tired to seventh after pressing the early pace.

Curalina is owned the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, whose president is Aron Wellman.

"That was a monster effort. She made a big middle move," Wellman said after the race.

Wellman said Curalina was entered in the Spinaway last August at Saratoga but was scratched the morning of the race when "she just wasn't herself" and given some time off.

Wellman said the logical progression for Curalina would be to go to the Coaching Club American Oaks, then to the Alabama.

A number of horses had issues during the running of the Acorn.

Promise Me Silver lost her footing at the start and rushed up to take the early lead outside Miss Ella. She tired in the stretch to finish 10th after being passed by By the Moon. The Acorn was her first defeat in nine career starts.

Condo Commando, the 3-1 favorite, was bumped at the start and did not show her customary early speed. She finished ninth.

Shook Up, 5-1, stumbled about a furlong from the gate while appearing to clip the heels of Light the City, and her rider then briefly lost his irons. Shook Up dropped back after a half-mile and was eased. She was taken to the Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialist medical center with a laceration to her right front ankle, according to New York Racing Association officials.

Bar of Gold was squeezed back badly after the start and rushed up on the backstretch. She finished sixth.