Acoma records first graded stakes win in Dogwood
by Joe Nevills
Acoma rallied in the stretch to reel in runner-up Keep the Peace and earn her first graded stakes win by a half-length in the $109,000 Dogwood Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
The Empire Maker filly settled in fifth heading into the turn about 3 1/2 lengths behind pacesetter Secret Gypsy through a half-mile in :46.22. Secret Gypsy battled Grade 2-placed Keep the Peace in early stretch before relinquishing the lead.
Rallying from three wide, Acoma moved up to challenge 2.10-to-1 favorite Keep the Peace deep in the stretch and outfinished that foe to win in the closing strides. Acoma completed one mile in 1:34.56 on a track rated as fast under Robby Albarado.
“Right outside the eighth pole, I thought I had some good momentum on ‘em,” Albarado said. “With the distance from that point to the wire, I thought I had a shot to get to ‘em. When she ran by [Keep the Peace], she just kept extending herself. It was a great race from her.”
Runner-up Keep the Peace was 3 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Secret Gypsy.
David Carroll trains Acoma for owners Helen Alexander and Helen Groves.
“This is a big step,” Carroll said. “I won’t say today was a surprise, but we went into the race hoping she’d run well. If you hit the board, it would be great, but the fact that she won it was just icing on the cake.”
The Kentucky-bred three-year-old filly is out of Grade-3 placed stakes winner Aurora, by Danzig. Acoma is a half sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Arch and 2001 Jebel Ali Hotel & Resort Godolphin Mile (UAE-G3) winner and United Arab Emirates Horse of the Year Festival of Light.
Acoma picked up her third straight victory in the Dogwood, which was her graded stakes debut.
The Dogwood was Keep the Peace’s third runner-up finish in four graded stakes starts this year.
“She’s been unlucky not to have won a graded stake,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said of Keep the Peace. “But she shows up every time, she’s very honest.”
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Joe Nevills is the editorial intern for Thoroughbred Times