Acorn Stakes Field Deep and Wide

A deep and wide cast of 3-year-old fillies will line up June 6 for the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park. Twelve fillies passed the entry box for the one-turn mile race on the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) day undercard with an approximate post of 3:15 EDT.



While Nat Rea's Regis Racing's Shook Up, runner-up to Lovely Maria in the May 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), was installed the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the Acorn, two unbeaten fillies figure to draw equal, if not more, attention.



Robert Luttrell's homebred Promise Me Silver proved her unbeaten streak in the southwest was no fluke on Oaks day at Churchill Downs with an impressive win in the seven-furlong Eight Belles Stakes (gr. III) under the Twin Spires. The Texas-bred daughter of Silver City   —Uno Mas Promesa, by Macho Uno  , is now a perfect eight for eight with seven stakes wins, but will be adding an additional furlong in her grade I debut over Belmont's "Big Sandy" main track.



Trained by Bret Calhoun, Promise Me Silver fired a bullet five furlongs in :59 2/5 May 29 prior to shipping to New York. The Bob Baffert-trained Contested pulled off the Eight Belles/Acorn double in 2012.

"It's a wide open race," Calhoun said. "It'll be a tough race but I think she fits in well with them. It's going to be an exciting race; there's going to be some really great horses, but I think she fits well in it. She's had the experience of running over six different racetracks. I hope that that's helpful for her."



Breaking from post 11 will be the unbeaten Miss Ella, who has only made two starts but turned heads April 12 with a 2 1/2-length score in Keeneland's Adena Springs Beaumont Stakes (gr. II) over the Beard Course of seven furlongs, 184 feet.



Miss Ella, a homebred for Jack Swain III, broke her maiden in similar fashion March 11 at Gulfstream Park. The bay filly is by Exchange Rate   out of the Woodman mare Sweet Tune and is trained by Graham Motion. On May 31, she worked five furlongs over the Belmont surface in 1:01.51, the sixth fastest of 24 at the trip.

"We decided it was the more logical route to go since she had already won a grade II at Keeneland," said Motion. "Plus we would've had to shorten her up at Pimlico. I always thought she'd do well stretching out, so it seemed like a natural progression for what she likes."

Bar of Gold is also unbeaten, but untested in stakes company. The New York-bred filly by Medaglia d'Oro   is a homebred for Chester and Mary Broman.



Shook Up, by runaway leading sire Tapit  , has but one win to her resume from six starts, but has finished second four times including the nine-furlong Oaks. She was second to I'm a Chatterbox in the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) in late March. A stalking running style and experience at the trip is perhaps the reason the homebred is the choice on the morning line.



Shook Up, out of the grade I-winning Awesome Again   mare Sugar Shake, will be ridden by Robby Albarado.



At 4-1 on the morning line and second choice is Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and The Elkstone Group's Condo Commando, who as dominated fields in New York but was a disappointing ninth last time out in the Kentucky Oaks.



She crushed her foes in the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) and Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) last year at 2, and won both of her two starts this year at Aqueduct Racetrack by a combined 7 1/4 lengths. The front-running daughter of Tiz Wonderful has recorded three works at her base at the Big A for her Belmont return, including a :59.21 five-furlong move May 30.



Other contenders in the Acorn include:



Oceanwave, a filly by the late Harlan's Holiday, who will break from the rail. She ran second in both the Honeybee and Fantasy stakes (both gr. III) at Oaklawn Park before a mid-pack finish in the Kentucky Oaks.



New York-bred Wonder Gal, second to By the Moon in last year's Frizette Stakes (gr. I) and third in the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). She was fourth behind Condo Commando in the Gazelle Stakes (gr. II) in her lone 3-year-old venture.

By the Moon, last year's Frizette winner for Samantha Siegel's Jay Em Ess Stable and Michelle Nevin. The on-the-pace-type filly by Indian Charlie tired late in the Parx Oaks May 2 behind Danzatrice.



Grade I-placed Light the City, a filly by Street Sense  , makes her East Coast debut after running seven times in California with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.