Abscond Digs Deep to Take Natalma Stakes
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Photo: Michael Burns
Abscond wins the Natalma Stakes at Woodbine
It was a fight to the finish all the way around for Abscond in the CA$250,000 (US$188,124) Natalma Stakes (G1T), but the 2-year-old daughter of Blame got up between two horses to cross the wire a nose in front in the Sept. 15 event at Woodbine.
Apogee Bloodstock and Mike Anderson Racing's Abscond was up in time on debut July 21 at Ellis Park to win by a head before she was second, beaten four lengths by Kimari, in the Aug. 14 Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. But the Eddie Kenneally trainee proved too tough Sunday.
"I'm really impressed with her," said Kenneally's assistant Kelly Wheeler. "She's done everything right since she broke her maiden. Really, we've asked a lot of her shipping her up to Saratoga—she handled that great. So we shipped her up here, it looked like a good spot, and she came through."
After breaking first at 9-1, Abscond stalked the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr. as Walk in Marrakesh moved up the inside to lead. Walk in Marrakesh set opening fractions of :23.99 and :48.24 through the first half-mile, with Abscond a head behind breathing down the pacesetter's neck.
Walk in Marrakesh found herself a length in front as she ran three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.56, but Abscond challenged again and Fair Maiden ranged up on the outside of them turning for home. The three fillies charged down the home stretch together, with Fair Maiden giving in first. Abscond found a final surge and finished the mile in 1:36.51 on yielding turf.
"She was acting really good. She broke out of there and she broke sharp and just stayed in the middle of the turf course and she was relaxed," Ortiz said. "She was going relaxed in the middle of the track so I left her there, I didn't fight too much with her.
"She's a fighter. She fought with the outside horse and came back on the inside. She fought back and she put a head in front in the last couple of jumps. Everything worked out good for us."
The Natalma is part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" challenge series, awarding Abscond an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T). The victory increased the bay filly's earnings to US$162,875.
Walk in Marrakesh held for second over Fair Maiden, Diamond Sparkles, Secret Stash, Saratoga Vision, and Runway Dreamer.
Wheeler said it was too soon to decide if Abscond would go to the Breeders' Cup and the filly would ship back to Kentucky before the next race is decided.
Abscond was bred in Kentucky by Michael Niall out of the Grand Slam mare Solitary Life. Brookdale Sales consigned her to the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where Jerry Romans Jr. purchased her for $35,000. She went through the ring again during the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale with Lisa and Tim Turney's consignment and Apogee Bloodstock brought her home for $90,000. She was a $30,000 RNA at this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale when consigned by Eddie Woods.
Solitary Life has a Violence yearling filly and was bred to Not This Time this year.