Abel Tasman rallies to win Kentucky Oaks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Left without a horse in the Kentucky Derby,

sought to make the most of his lone entry in the Kentucky Oaks.

rewarded the Hall of Fame trainer with a surprising victory that made Baffert and son strike a pose

Abel Tasman rallied from last and charged late to win the Oaks by 11⁄4 lengths Friday and give Baffert the victory with his lone entrant in the weekend marquee races at Churchill Downs.

As charged past favorite

through the far turn, Abel Tasman and

also began making their moves on the sloppy track. Abel Tasman got clear in the stretch to win the $1 million race for 3-year-old fillies and make up for her distant second to

in the Santa Anita in celebration. Oaks.

“About halfway down the backside, man, she got it all together and she made it up quick,” jockey

said as the filly was draped in a garland of pink lilies. “I knew we were alive then, and once we straightened up it was a matter of keeping her held together, staying busy and she did it all.”

Celebratory dabs from the Bafferts soon followed.

“That was just a release,” the trainer joked. “We don’t dab for every stakes race.”

The Bafferts’ impromptu gesture was fitting, considering Abel Tasman was far back at one point before regrouping to reshuffle the running order in the 14-horse field entering the stretch. The Kentucky-bred bay filly also had to atone for losing by 11 lengths to Paradise Woods at Santa Anita last month. That filly’s dominating performance offset a relatively short résumé compared to several of her challengers and made her the even-money choice.

Baffert himself praised Paradise Woods earlier this week and agreed that she was the filly to beat, though also he liked his horse’s chances as well with Smith aboard. Abel Tasman and were the co-third choices at 5-1. Smith credited blinkers with improving Abel Tasman’s focus, which showed as she overcome the slow start, rain and mud flying in her face. Once she got clear in the middle by the eighth pole, her second Grade 1 win and fourth career victory in seven starts was assured.

“That stretch was so long here and I thought it was going to be forever to get the finish line,” said Baffert, who also credited Smith’s handling. “It [winning] never gets old. It’s exciting, especially when you’re not the heavy favorite to sneak in there and win one like that.”

Abel Tasman ran 1⁄8 miles in 1:51.62 and paid $20.40, $9.20 and $6.40.

The sun is not expected to shine bright on the old Kentucky track on this Derby Day. Today’s 143rd edition of America’s rite of spring will feel more like November. It will be overcast at soggy Churchill Downs, with temperatures in the low to mid-50s and a 70 percent chance of occasional showers, and maybe even a thunderstorm or two. It would be only the 43rd Derby run on a track not rated fast.

Among the field of 20, only five — 4-1 favorite

and longshots

and — have won on a wet surface. Five lost their only try, and it will be a new experience for 10. Then again, never had raced on a wet surface but won the 2013 Derby anyway, coming from far back on a sloppy track to begin a streak of four winning favorites. That hadn’t happened since the 1970s.

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