Acorn in Play for Kentucky Oaks Winner Abel Tasman

One week removed from Abel Tasman's last-to-first rally in the May 5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), trainer Bob Baffert keeps finding more evidence to be that much more impressed with her victorious effort.

It was one thing for the bay Quality Road   filly to find her rhythm over the sealed, sloppy surface and mount her rally over the middle portion of the track perceived to be playing less than favorable. And while Abel Tasman was certainly aided by a pace collapse up front between race favorite Paradise Woods and Miss Sky Warrior, Baffert said jockey Mike Smith informed him afterward that his mount was fortunate not to go down when she hit a soft spot in the track around the first turn.

"You know on the first turn, I thought she almost clipped heels, but she hit a soft spot and I didn't even realize it," Baffert said May 12. "Mike told me when he came back, 'Bob, she almost went down in the first turn,' and when you watch it on NBC, she was checking and she hit a little spot and that's when she ended up last. 

"I didn't know what he was talking about at first but, yeah, after seeing that, it makes her run even more impressive."

Abel Tasman emerged none the worse for wear following her 1 1/4-length Oaks triumph and she could resurface in the June 10 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park should she continue to demonstrate an ability to bounce back to her Hall of Fame conditioner.

Baffert said Friday Abel Tasman has been "healthy and happy" since returning to California and that the one-mile Acorn will be ideal if her form holds.

"The next logical spot would be the Acorn on Belmont Stakes day. We'll look at that but I'll let her tell me," said Baffert, who took over training Abel Tasman when owners China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms transferred her away from Simon Callaghan following her runner-up effort in the March 4 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G2). "If she's training like she was going into the Oaks, if she's jumping out of her skin that would be a spot there."

Among those slated to take another shot at Abel Tasman, should she end up in the Acorn, is graded stakes winner Salty, who finished fifth in the Oaks, beaten four lengths. 

ADOLPHSON: Regrouping Salty Aims for Acorn Stakes

Bred by Clearsky Farms, Abel Tasman captured the Starlet Stakes (G1) last December but was overshadowed this winter, first due to the emergence of Unique Bella as a divisional stalwart and then when Paradise Woods ran off the screen in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1), winning that test by 11 3/4 lengths over the eventual Kentucky Oaks winner. Abel Tasman has four wins from seven career starts with earnings of $912,060.

Baffert added Friday that reigning champion male sprinter Drefong, unraced since his victory in the Twinspires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 5, recently returned to light training but has no race targeted yet.