Two Minute Lick: Personal Indeed! Abel Tasman and Elate Showcase Again at Saratoga

Personal Indeed!

Abel Tasman and Elate Showcase Again at Saratoga

While the feature race of the star-studded race card this past Saturday at Saratoga Racecourse was the 149th renewal of the G1 Runhappy Travers Stakes, when the dust had settled, the sun had set, and parched throats had been suitably refreshed through the liberal intake of libation, the most talked-about race was likely the 71st renewal of the G1 Personal Ensign Stakes. This esteemed race ranks among the very most prestigious races on the North American dirt racing program for fillies and mares, and the names of past winners reads like a virtual "who's who" of distaff racing. Accordingly, victory in such an event adds immensely to the recognition and value of the winner, a fact not lost on any participant and especially very well understood by all jockeys of the competing horses.

Reigning three year old champion filly Abel Tasman flew across country from her Southern California home base of Del Mar to accept the challenge thrown down by her East Coast rival, Claiborne Farm and Adel Dilschneider's wonderful home-bred filly, Elate. The latter had most recently been very impressive in her 2018 debut on July 14 when she easily annexed the G2 Delaware Handicap at 1 1/4 miles. Abel Tasman, while stubbing her toe so to speak in her 2018 debut in the G1 La Troienne in May at Churchill Downs, had bounced back with an absolutely dominating victory in the G1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont on 6-9-2018 at 1 1/8th miles. The stage was set, therefore, for this encounter by two very accomplished fillies, with the added interest generated by the presence of the brilliant Chilean bred filly Wow Cat (CHI). This very gifted import was unbeaten in her homeland in eight starts, the only blemish on her resume to date being a narrow loss by a rapidly diminishing nose in her North American debut in the G3 Shuvee at Saratoga on July 29 and, in the gifted hands of "now" trainer Chad Brown, the consensus was that she had every right to improve off that very good effort.

Abel Tasman and Elate had met on two previous occasions during their sophomore campaigns. The first meeting was also at Saratoga in the 2017 G1 CCA Oaks, the result being a controversial head victory for Abel Tasman over Elate after a roughly run stretch duel which saw jockey Mike Smith on Abel Tasman pin Jose Ortiz and Elate tight against the rail as they battled down the stretch. The daunting riding tactics, while questionable when considering the safety of horse and human, were rewarded as Abel Tasman withstood both a steward's enquiry and a jockey claim of foul for interference in the stretch run. Round one to Abel Tasman! The second meeting was in the G1 Breeder's Cup Distaff at Del Mar on November 3rd of last year. Here Elate was actually favored by the betting public to reverse the outcome on her nemesis, but both were upset by Bourbon County bred and raised Forever Unbridled as the latter put forth her career performance at exactly the appropriate time. Abel Tasman finished 1/2 length behind the winner in second place while Elate, failing to find her best that day, finished a well beaten fourth, some four lengths behind Abel Tasman, thereby securing divisional honors for this outstanding daughter of Quality Road. Round two to Abel Tasman!

Round three this past Saturday found perfect weather and track conditions, and these two ladies did not disappoint. Both broke very well, Abel Tasman from her inside post position and Elate from the outside, and both appeared comfortable with their respective spots during the running of the race. Smith moved early on his mount, wresting the lead midway down the backside and, as he did so, Jose Ortiz tracked closely with Elate, no more than two lengths ever separating the pair. Turning for home, 1/4 mile to run, found Abel Tasman under a hard hand ride, leading by a progressively diminishing two lengths, with Elate now in hot pursuit with Ortiz here asking the question of his filly. These two quickly separated themselves from the rest of the over matched field as they accelerated for the wire. About the 1/8th pole Elate, on the outside, appeared to come on near-even terms with her rival and here they now ran literally stride-for-stride, in perfect synchrony, as if performing an orchestrated dance. No dance this! Rather this was a tremendous battle of two very special fillies, going toe-to-toe like two heavyweights fighters for the final 1/4 mile, each drawing upon inherent talent gifted through generations of selective breeding, the conditioning skills of their esteemed trainers, and the talent and courage of two of the finest race riders in the world. Initially racing about three paths apart Smith, sensing his filly was losing the battle to the surging Elate, under left handed urging moved his filly off the rail to engage Elate on the outside, realizing that in so doing Abel Tasman would dig even deeper, fight even harder, in her quest to prevail. At precisely the same instant Elate, under strong right handed encouragement from Ortiz, shifted in about one path. The result was essentially a mid-air collision between two very gallant, very talented, but clearly fatigued fillies. In this instance Elate suffered the hardest blow, and photos clearly show Ortiz getting knocked to the side, the loose goggle around his neck being tossed into the air. Immediately following the incident Abel Tasman is seen to open a neck lead, a margin she held to the wire, with Elate second, there being some nine lengths back to the third place finisher, Wow Cat (CHI). A claim of foul against the winner was lodged by Jose Ortiz but the stewards determined that no change was in order. Round three, also to Abel Tasman. The running time was an outstanding 1:47.19, establishing a new stakes record and only .55 seconds off the track record!

Rivalry: The essence of sport no matter the game or field of competition! Two very evenly matched horses, both clearly proving to be among the best we have recently seen, with not an instant's difference in ability separating them, yet circumstance finds the score 3-0, favor Abel Tasman. One salivates at the prospect of round four, and racing today is the thankful beneficiary of these two special horses as well as the sportsmanship and willingness of their connections to continue this developing epic rivalry.

Murray West

Paris Ky.

8-28-2018