Highly regarded Abashiri makes North American debut in Belmont Oaks
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The placement of Abashiri in Group 1 stakes in Europe in just the second and third starts of her career tells you just how much trainer Charlie Appleby thinks of the 3-year-old daughter of Frankel.
After respectable, albeit non-winning, runs in the English 1000 Guineas and Irish 1000 Guineas, Abashiri has found her way to America, where Saturday she’ll likely go postward as the favorite in the Grade 1, $600,000 Belmont Oaks at Saratoga.
“She’s always been held in high regard by the team back home,” said Chris Connett, assistant to Appleby.
Abashiri won her lone start at 2, a one-mile race over Kempton’s synthetic surface, by four lengths on Nov. 5. Six months later, she made her second start in the English 1000 Guineas, where she finished fifth in a field of 19, four lengths behind True Love, who was a Group 1 winner at 2. Precise finished seventh in that race.
Three weeks later, Abashiri came back to run third in the Irish 1000 Guineas, a race won by Precise with True Love finishing second. Abashiri was beaten just three lengths. Precise came back to win the Group 1 Coronation at Royal Ascot, a race in which True Love finished third.
“She’s got some very nice form lines there. Hopefully, that stands her in good stead for Saturday,” Connett said.
In the English 2000 Guineas, Abashiri may have been done in by a Newmarket course that has dips and then a climb to it, Connett said.
“She took a big step forward going from there to Ireland, which she jumped and she traveled extremely well. She just couldn’t quite fend them off,” Connett said.
William Buick is in to ride Abashiri from post 8 in a field of 10.
Connett said that with Epsom Oaks at 1 1/2 miles having at one time been a thought for Abashiri, the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Belmont Oaks shouldn’t be problematic.
Kensington Lane, trained by Donnacha O’Brien, enters the Belmont Oaks off a fifth-place finish in the Irish 1000 Guineas, finishing three-quarters of a length behind Abashiri.
Imaginationthelady, trained by Brendan Walsh, is coming off a head victory in the Grade 2 Edgewood on May 1 at Churchill. Tam Tam, second to her that day, won last Saturday’s Tepin Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths at Churchill.
Walsh doesn’t feel either the 1 1/8 miles or the outside draw in this 10-horse field will hinder Imaginationthelady. Speaking of the distance, Walsh said “it should hit her right between the eyes. I think the further she goes, the better she gets.”
Two of Imaginationthelady’s three wins, both Grade 2 stakes, were at 1 1/16 miles.
Fitz Right is 3 for 3 this year for trainer Chad Brown, including a 3 1/2-length victory in the one-mile Memories of Silver at Aqueduct and a one-length victory in the Grade 2 Wonder Again going 1 1/16 miles here June 5.
“That horse has really come around. She’s been a pleasant surprise this year,” Brown said. “We gave her some time, let her develop and find her way on the turf going longer. I didn’t necessarily see her developing into this level of horse. The owners were patient. They gave her some time to grow up over the winter, and she certainly has.”
Brown felt the way Ritz Right “finished off her last race, showed a good turn of foot, the mile and eighth is within her scope. I’d say that would be her limit, though.”
Brown also runs Just Aloof, who was narrowly beaten in both the Grade 2 Appalachian and Grade 2 Edgewood.
Faithful Departed, trained by Grant Forster, stepped out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time and was a dominant 2 1/4-length winner of the Grade 3 Regret on May 30 at Churchill. Forster immediately pointed Faithful Departed to this race.
Storm’s Wake, second in the Regret after winning the Grade 2 Appalachian over Imaginationthelady, is another contender in a deep field.
Time to Dream returns to Saratoga, where last summer she won her career debut and the P.G. Johnson Stakes. She is coming off a third-place finish in the Wonder Again.
Ultimate Love, who was the beaten favorite when finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, finished second by a head in the Hilltop Stakes in her 3-year-old debut two months ago.
Carmensita, third in a June 6 Saratoga allowance in her U.S. debut for trainer Horacio De Paz after going 1 for 8 in Argentina, completes the field.