Change is inevitable. Horse racing has its own trends. However, some breaks with tradition seem stranger to me than others. I am surprised that the Acorn Stakes is now described as the Belmont Stakes undercard. Here are some big reasons why should be acknowledging the Acorn, the third leg of the Filly Triple Crown, the first jewel of the Triple Tiara.
The Grade 1 Acorn Stakes was inaugurated in 1931, that is 87 years of American Thoroughbred racing! During that time there have been great winners like Ruffian and Sky Beauty and a number of Eclipse Award winners and Hall Of Fame horses.
The Acorn is to the Belmont Stakes what the Kentucky Oaks is to the Kentucky Derby and the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is to the Preakness Stakes. This is how it fits into the role of the Filly Triple Crown. Moreover, the Acorn also transitions into a tough New York based filly series including the Coaching Club Oaks and the Alabama Stakes to comprise the Triple Tiara. The Acorn is the alpha and the omega!
Last year Abel Tasman won for Bob Baffert, Mike Smith and China Horse Club International Ltd. and Clearsky Farms. Sound familiar? It’s the connections of Justify. The same big names in horse racing are found in the Acorn as they are in Triple Crown racing.
Too bad the Acorn isn’t held on Friday before the Belmont Stakes like the other 3 year old filly champion races are. If it was, the Acorn would be the biggest purse on Friday. The dirt race of 1 mile (8 furlongs) carries a purse of $700,000. That’s a nice stakes race for 3 year-old fillies. I think it would allow the fans the opportunity to focus on the historical and realistic importance of this race. These are the best of our 3 year-old fillies, the best of racing to come and the best of the future broodmares.
The Acorn will post on Saturday, 6/9/18 at Belmont Park in New York. It is the 4th race on a card of lucky 13. The race goes off at 1:24 P.M. ET. Here are 7 more reasons to love the Acorn. The 7 contenders by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/and morning-line odds:
- Moonshine Memories/Flavien Prat/Simon Callaghan/Bridlewood Farm, Ms. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor/6-1
- Spectator/Javier Castellano/Philip D’Amato/Rick and Sharon Waller and Little Red Feather Racing/8-1
- Monomoy Girl/Florent Geroux/Brad H.Cox/M. Dubb, Monomoy Stables, LCC., The Elkstone Group, LCC., and Bethlehem Stables. LCC>/4-5
- Gio Game/Julien Leparoux/Mark E. Casse/John C. Oxley/15-1
- Caledonia Road/Mike E. Smith/Ralph E. Nicks/Zoom and Fish Stable, Inc, Charlie Spring and Newtown Anner Stud/3-1
- Starcloud/Albin Jimenez/Oscar M. Gonzalez/Vincente Stella Stables, LLC./20-1
- Talk Veuve to Me/Jose L. Ortiz/Ralph Brisset/Team Valor International, Rodolphe Brisset and Stephen McKay/8-1
Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon, sire – Unenchantedevening, dam) : 5 career starts – 3 wins-1 second- 0 third place finishes 5:3-1-0. Moonshine Memories broke her maiden in her first start. She completed a 3 race winning streak in her next 2 races, both Grade 1 stakes. Unfortunately , she was disappointing in 7th the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and after that dropped in class to a listed race where she was second. This would be a come back for this KY bred filly who has only raced in CA prior.
Spectator (Jimmy Creed – Diva’s Tribute) : 5:3-1-1. This KY bred has done all of her racing in California. She won her very first start and her first graded stakes. She finished in the money in 2 other graded races. She has been resting since early April.
Monomoy Girl (Tapizar – Drumette) : 7:6-1-0. It is easy to see why she is the favorite. I wish she had raced in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. She won the first leg of the Filly Triple Crown in her last start. Prior to that, I watched her win at Keeneland in the Ashland Stakes. Pictures of her are included in this story. I like the KY bred multiple graded stakes winner! Monomoy Girl has raced in IN, LA and KY.
Gio Game (Gio Ponti – Game for More) : 7:2-3-1. Gio Game has had a rough game. KY bred, Gio Game broke her maiden on her third start. She then finished 9th in her only stakes, the BC Juvenile fillies before returning to the track in 3 allowance races where she has shown steady improvement to finish first in her last start. She has raced in New York, California, Florida and Kentucky. Her jockey, Leparoux, won the Acorn in 2016 with Carina Mia.
Caledonia Road ( Quality Road – Come A Callin) : 4:3-1-0. Caledonia Road is a FL bred that has race in CA and NY. She has had two starts at Belmont Park and was 2nd and 1st. She was the winner of the BC Juvenile Fillies way back in November and then came back in an allowance late April, her last start where she proved she is still a winner. Her jockey, Smith, won the Acorn last year with Abel Tasman.
Starcloud (Backtalk – Starletta) : 5:4-0-0. Starcloud is FL bred and FL raced. This will be her first race away from Gulfstream. She usually wins and in her last start she won a black type race.
Talk Veuve to Me ( Violence – Biblical Point) : 3: 1-2-0. This KY bred has raced at 2 KY tracks and Fair Grounds. She finished 2nd in the Grade II Eight Belles last month. Though the jockey’s brother, Irad Ortiz, Jr., won the Acorn with Sweet Reason in 2014, Jose has yet to win the Acorn!
There are 33 races including 19 stakes for purses totaling $9.4 million dollars for the 3 day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. It would be nice to catch them all but please, don’t miss out on the Acorn Stakes. Sadly, NBC Sports Network coverage is from 2 to 4 P.M. ET and NBC from 4-7 P.M. ET. so just a bit too late for the Acorn.
Check back for my post on the Belmont Stakes and a fun and easy to follow cheesecake recipe from our Chef Horseradish coming soon!
