Abel Tasman proved victorious in three of her seven starts during 2017, with all three coming in Grade 1 contests, and closed out her sophomore campaign with a half-length second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar on November 3. That, along with her prior wins, saw the Quality Road filly earn an Eclipse Award Thursday evening as the 2017 champion three-year-old filly.
| THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY | FIRST-PLACE VOTES | |
| ABEL TASMAN | 244 | |
| Unique Bella | 5 | |
| Elate | 1 |
Abel Tasman began her career with trainer Simon Callaghan, taking the Starlet Stakes (G1) as a juvenile, before kicking off 2017 with a runner-up effort in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park. Subsequently transferred to conditioner Bob Baffert, she filled the place spot in her second start of the year, the Santa Anita Oaks (G1), by a well-beaten 11 3/4 lengths.
The bay lass easily turned the tables on that rival, as well as all others, when producing a last-to-first rally in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 5. That began Abel Tasman’s three-race win streak that also includes the Acorn Stakes (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1).
Returning off a two-month break, the Kentucky-bred filly finished second in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) before facing elders for the first time in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, where she defeated all but Forever Unbridled.
Abel Tasman racked up $1,747,200 in earnings to go along with a 7-3-4-0 line in 2017. Overall, the filly sports an 11-6-4-0, $1,995,060, lifetime mark.
