Ogden Phipps S.

Jockey Mike Smith has learned not to fight with Abel Tasman. When China Horse Club’s and Clearsky Farms’ 4-year-old Quality Road filly wants to run, he lets her run.

The $750,000, Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes on June 9 at Belmont Park was just the most recent example.

Like she’s done plenty of times before — and it doesn’t always work — Abel Tasman ran up to the lead wide on the backstretch, around a trio of horses vying for the lead, after she stalked the pace early in the 1 1/16-mile Phipps.

“You know her,” Smith said. “She does that every time. She gets away slow and then she makes that big middle move. Sometimes it’s better to let her do it, if they’re going slow. If they’re going fast and she does it, that’s when I’ve gotten myself in trouble, and that’s happened before. But they were going easy enough that it was OK.”

With clear command in the Belmont turn, the Bob Baffert trainee powered away from an overmatched field to win by 7 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:40.36 to collect her fifth Grade 1 win and secure a guaranteed starting spot in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff via the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.

Ivy Bell finished second and Unbridled Mo came in third, another 1 3/4 lengths back.

Ivy Bell held a one-length lead through an opening quarter-mile in :23.58, as Unchained Melody stalked in second and Abel Tasman raced in third, but by the time the half-mile went in :46.36, it was Abel Tasman who was a length in front. She maintained her advantage through six furlongs in 1:10.05, increased it to two lengths in the stretch, then burst away to the finish line.

“[Ivy Bell] made what initially appeared to be an easy lead, and then Abel Tasman put in that big run down the backside, so [jockey] Javier [Castellano] just sat patiently on her,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “She kept on pretty well and I thought it was a pretty good performance. She was second best on the day.”