Adieu makes her second start of the year for trainer Todd Pletcher in the $250,000 Acorn (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies at one mile Saturday at Belmont Park.
Nine were entered for this year's Acorn, which has been run the day before the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in recent years but was moved to the main weekend under-card for 2006, further beefing up the day's program.
One of the nation's leading juvenile fillies in 2005, Adieu won the Spinaway (gr. II) and Frizette (gr. I). Although she hit the shelf for a long time after finishing seventh of 10 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I), Adieu returned to the races with a promising effort on May 6, finishing second in Churchill's La Troienne (gr. III). The 3 ΒΌ-length winner of the race, Joint Effort, returned to win the Dogwood Handicap (gr. III) last weekend.
"Adieu is training really well," Pletcher said, noting that she breezed Monday five furlongs in company with Belmont Stakes (gr. I) starter Sunriver in 1:00 1/5. "Now she's got a race under her belt and, hopefully, she's sitting on a good effort.
"We were waiting on the right spots to bring her back. We were going to run at Keeneland, but I didn't really like the way the track was playing and didn't want to rush her off her feet first time back. The La Troienne should set her up perfectly for this, and I like that Joint Effort came back to win."
Hello Liberty enters the Acorn off a determined victory in the Nassau County Breeders' Cup (gr. II) over the Belmont track for trainer Larry Jones, who won the Acorn two years ago with Island Sand.
Miraculous Miss rides a two-race win streak after taking the Forward Gal and Comely (both gr. II). Steve Klesaris trains Miraculous Miss.
$250,000 Acorn Stakes (gr. I, Race 9, 5:10 p.m., 3-Year-Old Fillies, 1 MilePP. Horse, Jockey
1. Last Romance (KY), Edgar Prado
2. Adieu (KY), Garrett Gomez
3. Bushfire (FL), Alex Solis
4. She's Excellent (NY), Fernando Jara
5. Wonder Lady Anne L (KY), Rafael Bejarano
6. Miraculous Miss (KY), Kent Desormeaux
7. Teammate (KY), Cornelio Velasquez
8. Hello Liberty (KY), Norberto Arroyo, Jr.
9. Ermine (FL), Robby Albarado
Each assigned 121 pounds.
