'Tasman' Looks Tough in CCA Oaks

Abel Tasman (Quality Road) looks for her third consecutive victory in a prestigious Grade I as she returns to the east coast for Sunday's Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. A last-to-first winner of the GI Kentucky Oaks in her second start for Bob Baffert May 5, the China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms colorbearer hugged the rail and out-kicked Salty (Quality Road) by a length in the one-turn-mile GI Acorn S. on GI Belmont S. day June 10. Belmont Day represented a huge coup for Baffert and pilot Mike Smith, who partnered to win four of the day's stakes events. This would be California-based Baffert's first score in the historic CCA Oaks. Smith has won it four times previously, most recently with Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) 12 months ago. Salty annexed the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks in April, but settled for fifth after enduring significant traffic trouble in the Kentucky Oaks. According to Trakus data, Salty did cover 14 ft. more than Abel Tasman in the Acorn, which equates to more than the length she was beaten. Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) was a fast-finishing second under the Twin Spires, and returned from running off and scratching before the June 2 G1 Investec Oaks to check in fourth in the GI Belmont Oaks July 8. A prediction that Elate (Medaglia d'Oro) would win the Coaching Club immediately after her 'TDN Rising Star'-garnering 12 1/2-length debut romp at Aqueduct Nov. 26 wouldn't have been over-the-top, but it would have in subsequent efforts. The Claiborne and Dilschneider homebred was beaten at short prices in Tampa's Suncoast S. in February and in the GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn in March, and was pulled up and vanned off at 11-10 in Keeneland's GI Ashland S. Apr. 8. Second, again at odds-on in a Churchill optional claimer May 5, she finally ran back to her debut Beyer Speed Figure of 88 with a 5 1/2-length score in Delaware Light Hearted S. June 15. With little pace signed on here and a rail draw, she figures to come out running from the bell.