Abel Tasman

After an unplaced finish in her career debut, Abel Tasman reeled off three straight wins to close out her 2-year-old season, capped by a clear win in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos. She then finished second to Unique Bella in the Santa Ysabel and to Paradise Woods in the Santa Anita Oaks before shipping to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks, winning impressively in the slop. She was equally impressive in her next start five weeks later when she prevailed in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

Abel Tasman extended her streak of Grade 1 wins to three in a row on July 23, holding off a persistent challenge in late stretch from Elate to win the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga by a head. Abel Tasman's streak came to an end when It Tiz Well caught her in the stretch of the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes in September 2017 and she had to settle for second. Abel Tasman again finished second to older mare Forever Unbridled in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November.

Following her brilliant 2017 campaign, Abel Tasman was honored with the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly.

Abel Tasman came up a little short when fourth in her season debut in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes on the Longines Kentucky Oaks undercard, but she more than made up for it in her second race as a 4-year-old. She rolled to the lead on the backstretch of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes on the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets undercard and powered away from five overmatched opponents for a dominant victory.

A rematch with multiple Grade 1 winner Elate awaited Abel Tasman in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes on Aug. 25 and what a fantastic race it turned out to be. Abel Tasman seized command on the backsretch and led into the stretch, where Elate made her presence felt with a powerful rally on Abel Tasman's outside flank. The two dueled stride for stride through the Saratoga stretch, bumping near the finish line, but Abel Tasman held on to prevail in a thrilling finish.

Trainer Bob Baffert pointed Abel Tasman to the Sept. 30 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita Park for her final Breeders’ Cup prep, but the filly got off to a slow start and was never a factor, finishing a shocking fifth of six in a race where she was favored at 1-9 odds.

A homebred of Clearsky Farms co-owned by China Horse Club, the bay Quality Road filly is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Sky Girl.