Acorn Stakes - 8F Dirt FILLIES ONLY - COMPLETED!

Handling for Valeera

Speed: 84
Staying: 84
Stamina: 84
Breaking: 84
Power: 79
Feel: 83
Fierce: 84
Tenacity: 83
Courage: 84
Response: 84

Distance: 8 - 12
Leg type: Front Runner
Abilities: Front Runner, Stretch Burst, Stubborn

Dirt: Great
Turf: Okay

Name: "Coco" LH Lovestruck
Color: Seal Brown Splash
Gender: Filly
Bandages: Front
Neck Height: High
Run Style: Normal
Hood: No
Shadow Roll: Yes

Farm/stable name: Lavender Hill
Racing Colors:

Speed: 82
Staying: 83
Stamina: 84
Breaking: 79
Power: 81
Feel: 80
Fierce: 84
Tenacity: 84
Courage: 80
Response: 82

Distance: 7 - 12
Leg Type: Stalker
Abilities: Free .:. Start Dash .:. Loses Will

Dirt: Good
Turf: Good

Name: Thistle - Hard Tack Prickly Personality
Color: Bay
Gender: Female
Bandages: None
Neck Height: Normal
Run Style: Normal
Hood: No
Shadow Roll: No

Stable Name: Rhapsody
Racing Colors:

Weather
Clear

Course: Dirt
Fast

Current Record
1:36.3 (Heretic Queen 2018)

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Post Positions (per Random.org)
1. Gracie
2. Dapper Doll
3. Buchiko
4. Duchess
5. Mary Lou
6. Groupie Doll
7. Coco
8. Under The Mask
9. Thistle
10. Girl Gone Wild

All fillies carry 121 lbs

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Post Time Odds

1. Gracie: 25 - 1
2. Dapper Doll: 6.5 - 1
3. Buchiko: 7 - 2
4. Duchess: 6 - 1
5. Mary Lou: 8.5 - 1
6. Groupie Doll: 12 - 1
7. Coco: 3 - 1 (f)
8. Under The Mask: 7 - 1
9. Thistle: 8.5 - 1
10. Girl Gone Wild: 9 - 2

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Call

Three weeks ago, Coco threw down the gauntlet with a sharp break and led the field gate to wire in the Black-Eyed Susan, opening the way for racing immortality. After a disappointing Olympic season, this freight train of a filly may be vulnerable, and at beautiful Belmont Park, nine fillies will line up for the final test - the 1 mile Acorn Stakes, the shortest of the series but also the trickiest. Not all fillies can handle the sweeping one turn mile and after a grueling season consisting of both the Classics, Dubai and the Olympics, does Coco have enough left to seal the deal at the Big Sandy?

Coco is the just favorite today after emphatic wins in both the Oaks and the Black-Eyed Susan and all eyes on her to see if she can grab that coveted triple like four other fillies before her. Buchiko is second choice again and it's a series of seconds for this gal, as she's done everything right - except be born in the wrong year! Two Year Old Champ Girl Gone Wild will try to build on her third place Susan finish last out, while Duchess will seek higher glory after qualifying for the Olympics and running out of the money in both races. Dapper Doll will seek to improve her record on dirt after a fruitful season across the pond on turf, and Under The Mask will try to do the same as she runs to reclaim her former glory that saw her take two Oaks preps early in the season. Mary Lou has already shown some improvement in allowance and graded stakes, while Thistle has conquered the 2000 Guineas in England and comes home for greater riches in the last spring filly Classic. Groupie Doll hasn't shown much on the Oaks trail, but managed a career best running fourth in the Black Eyed Susan. Gracie is the longest shot on the board in double digits, and while she has shown improvement in allowance company, she has failed to fire when it counts.

It's a gang of familiar faces and flying dirt as these 10 fillies take to the track for the final filly spring classic. History is waiting - whether it is in the agony of the fallen or the immortality of the victor, it all comes down to 8 short furlongs on the main Belmont track.

The Triple Tiara all comes to an end NOW on Seeing Stars!



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Results
1. (8) Under The Mask - 1:36.3 (equals stakes record!)
2. (3) Buchiko (1 1/4 lengths)
3. (7) Coco (3/4 length)
4. (2) Dapper Doll (3/4 length)
5. (10) Girl Gone Wild (nose)
6. (6) Groupie Doll (neck)
7. (5) Mary Lou (head)
8. (4) Duchess (nose)
9. (9) Thistle (length)
10. (1) Gracie (1/2 length)

Places 1 - 5 take your points, 6 - 10 will earn 1 pt for stamina and 1 pt for power.

CONGRATULATIONS TO UNDER THE MASK FOR WINNING THE ACORN STAKES!

The Queen has fallen - Coco was unable to fend off the determined charge of Under The Mask.

Thistle broke quickest of all, but Coco charged to the lead briefly before ceding it to a cruising Under The Mask. The flashy fillies ran just two lengths apart for much of the way, with Under The Mask leading throughout, until Coco struck with less than a quarter mile to run. Coco looked all the Triple Tiara winner with only a furlong to go - but Under The Mask still had plenty in the tank and cruised by with Buchiko in hot pursuit between horses as Coco faltered just strides from the wire! Coco was a valiant fighter but a flat mile seems to be just too short of her favored wheelhouse and she could not keep up that devastating speed of hers when she was challenged for the front by another filly.

It was an exciting Triple Tiara season with our Top 3 fillies the ones to take all the preps on the trail - and Coco to win 2/3rds of the Triple Tiara before the early season favorite Under The Mask brought her to task. Buchiko, uniquely, has her own Triple Tiara - she's the only filly to finish 2nd in all three Triple Tiara races in the series' history. At least she finally finished in front of Coco once in her career...

With the Tiara done for another year and the Olympics behind us, we now head to the year end championships - the Breeders' Cup! How many of these fillies will reappear with the Distaff - and perhaps the Classic - on the horizon? I hope most of them, as this was a superb field of ladies this year and I hope to see many of them in the fall!

Tagged Owners: Aragorn, Jewellz, Ryder ☆, valeera

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Time
Quarter Splits: 24.4 | 48.1 | 1:12.2 | 1:36.3
Final: 1:36.3

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