Guarana, making only her second start, romps in Acorn

ELMONT, N.Y. - When asked earlier in the week about stepping Guarana right into Grade 1 company off her resounding debut win, trainer Chad Brown said, “I didn’t expect to run her in a Grade 1 off just one start, but she’s an extremely talented horse and sometimes when you have a rare horse like that, they do rare things.”

On Saturday at Belmont Park, Guarana showed she was rare indeed, leaving Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress in the dust through the final furlong of the $700,000 Acorn and pulling away to a six-length victory in the Grade 1 fixture for 3-year-old fillies.

Jockey Jose Ortiz hinted he, too, thought Guarana might be very special long before post time on Saturday. He opted to take off Serengeti Empress, whom he had guided to a 1 ¾-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks, to keep his seat aboard Guarana. And Ortiz did an absolutely flawless job putting Guarana in position to win the Acorn.

As expected, Serengeti Empress was sent out to the lead after breaking from the rail under her new rider Irad Ortiz Jr. But she was engaged almost immediately by Cookie Dough, with the pair setting staggering splits of 21.89 and 43.99 for the opening quarter- and half-mile of the one-mile Acorn. Guarana, meanwhile, settled in nicely right behind the embattled leaders, overtook Serengeti Empress entering the stretch, and despite trying to lug in a bit in early stretch extended her advantage under steady encouragement through the final furlong.

Despite engaging in grueling pace duel, Serengeti Empress was game and classy enough to easily hold off the others, finishing 2 ¼ lengths clear of Jeltrin, who saved ground and rallied belatedly near the inside to be third. Jeltrin was making her first start since she finished 10th in the Kentucky Oaks.

Guarana, a daughter of Ghostzapper owned by Three Chimneys Farm, set a stakes record by completing the mile over a lightning fast main track in 1:33.58. She paid $5.80.

“She reminds me a lot of her father, so it’s extra special to me having worked so closely with Ghostzapper to have his daughter, who is equally as brilliant,” said Brown, a former assistant to Ghostzapper’s trainer, the late Bobby Frankel. “It’s an incredible feeling. I’m a lucky guy.”

Brown predicted before the race that despite the fact Guarana had gone to the lead in her debut, he was confident she would rate if need be on Saturday.

“I felt really good because I thought there would be a strong pace,” said Brown. “I just wanted her to break cleanly and be near the front. Honestly, I was surprised to see her on the lead at Keeneland. I expected her to win, but she never had blazing speed in the morning. She has always trained kind. I wasn’t concerned about her rating at all.”

Ortiz said it was a difficult decision to take off the Oaks winner in the Acorn, especially to ride a filly coming off just a maiden win.

“It was a hard decision but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity,” said Ortiz. “I told Chad I have faith and I’ll stick with you because I really like this filly. After this race, all I can say is wow!”

Trainer Tom Amoss said he was proud of Serengeti Empress in defeat.

“I knew we were in trouble drawing the rail, and getting pushed on the front end certainly didn’t help our cause,” said Amoss. “Hats off to the winner. She’s a great filly and she was the best horse today. But I think I have a great filly as well.”