2017 Acorn Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

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Dave Bond | OTB Writer

OffTrackBetting.com - The G1 Acorn Stakes comes our way this Saturday, June 10 from Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A nice purse of $700,000 will be up for grabs for three-year-old fillies willing to go one mile on Belmont Park's dirt track.

An accomplished field of eight will take to the track in the Acorn Stakes - race 4 on Belmont Park's stacked Saturday schedule. Post time is 1:11 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all eight entries for this lucrative G1 stakes.

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2017 Acorn Stakes Entries at Belmont Park

Abel Tasman 2-1

Will race for the eighth time for trainer Bob Baffert having won four times and posted two second place finishes in her career already. She made her stakes debut December 10 and scored a terrific win in the G1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos. Last time out was a good last-to-first 1 1/4 length win with a tidy 92 Beyer Speed Figure in the $1 million G1 Kentucky Oaks May 5 which followed to straight respectable second place finishes - the G1 Santa Anita Oaks April 8 and behind the terrific Unique Bella in the G3 Santa Ysabel Stakes March 4. Abel Tasman has four wins and two runner-up finishes in her last six starts overall and hopes for a second straight G1 score Saturday with Mike Smith guiding the morning line favorite from post 3.

Sweet Loretta 5-2

Impressive Todd Pletcher trained filly has five career starts and four wins - three graded stakes. Last time out was one of those wins - by three lengths in the G3 Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland April 9. That result followed a step back - an eleventh after stumbling at the start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, good wins in a dead heat with Pretty City Dancer in the G1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga September 3 and by 4 1/4 lengths in the G3 Schuylerville Stakes on that track July 22 and her debut by seven lengths at Monmouth Park last June. Sweet Loretta had been terrific before her Breeders' Cup experience but showed some resiliency last time out with a strong bounce back win. She shoots for her fourth graded stakes win (second straight) Saturday with Javier Castellano in the irons of the second betting choice from post 7.

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Salty 4-1

Will race for just the fifth time for trainer Mark Casse having posted two wins and a second-place finish in four career starts. She broke maiden by 2 1/2 lengths March 5 at Gulfstream and has since recorded a nice win by 4 1/4 lengths in the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks April 1 and a fifth last time out in the Kentucky Oaks May 5. She posted a runner-up finish in her debut February 4. Salty had shown improvement before last time out and hopes to bounce back off a career-worst performance. Joel Rosario gets the call on the third choice from the outside post.

Benner Island 6-1

Brad Cox trained filly has three wins and two seconds in eight career starts. She enters off a career-best effort - a win with a personal-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure in the G2 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs May 5. Before that was a somewhat disappointing fifth in the G3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park April 14 and a second in the G3 Honeybee Stakes on that track March 11. Her other graded stakes result was a seventh in the G1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland in October. Benner Island has been OK in her career but raised some eyebrows last time out. She tries for a second straight graded stakes score Saturday. Jose Ortiz rides from post 5.

Union Strike 8-1

Mick Ruis trained filly will hit the track for the seventh having posted two wins and two runner-up finishes so far. Her second start resulted in a very good 2 1/4 length win in the G1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes September 3. She has been a tad up and down since - a good second last time out in the G2 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs May 5 followed a win in the minor Santa Paula Stakes at Santa Anita April 9, a fifth in the G1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos in December and a sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies November 5. Union Strike has been in there with some tough competition and has produced varying results. She seems to be ramping up again ahead of this weekend and will be after a second G1 score with Brice Blanc in the saddle from the rail.

Tequilita 12-1

Michael Matz trained filly finished seventh in her debut and has placed in six of seven starts since - three wins and three runner-up finishes. She enters off a disappointing seventh in the G1 Kentucky Oaks May 5 after a respectable second behind Salty in the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks April 1 and a terrific three race win streak - the G2 Forward Gal Stakes at 14-1 odds in her graded stakes debut at Gulfstream February 4, the minor Smart Halo Stakes by a length at Laurel Park November 19 and a maiden score at Keeneland in October in her fourth career start. Tequilita had been good before last time out and will be in search of a bounce back effort Saturday from post 6. Luis Saez is scheduled to ride from gate 6.

Florida Fabulous 15-1

Has three career starts for trainer David Fawkes with two wins. Last time out was a disappointing graded stakes debut - a tenth in the G2 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs May 5. That followed two straight wins to start her career - an Allowance Optional Claiming March 31 and a maiden score February 16 - both at Gulfstream Park. Florida Fabulous tries for her first stakes win Saturday but looks as though she will be in over her head. She departs from gate 2 with Paco Lopez aboard.

Nikki My Darling 30-1

Dominic Giglio Jr. trained filly has four wins and a runner-up finish in eight career starts. She enters off a second-place finish in the minor Tomboy Stakes at Belterra Park May 14 which followed three straight wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming April 17, the minor Southern Park Stakes March 25 and an Allowance March 8 -all three at Mahoning Valley. Her only graded stakes action came before that and resulted in a seventh in the G1 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in October. Nikki My Darling has been just OK so far in her career and searches for a career-defining win Saturday from gate 4. Tyler Gaffalione gets the call.


2017 Acorn Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 4 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 1:11 PM.

Entry Horse ML Odds Jockey Trainer
1 Union Strike 8-1 Brice Blanc Mick Ruis
2 Florida Fabulous 15-1 Paco Lopez David Fawkes
3 Abel Tasman 2-1 Mike Smith Bob Baffert
4 Nikki My Darling 30-1 Tyler Gaffalione Dominic Giglio, Jr.
5 Benner Island 6-1 Jose Ortiz Brad Cox
6 Tequilita 12-1 Luis Saez Michael Matz
7 Sweet Loretta 5-2 Javier Castellano Todd Pletcher
8 Salty 4-1 Joel Rosario Mark Casse