Regis Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Shook Up (Tapit) headlines the 11-horse field that will line up for the 85th running of Belmont's GI Acorn S. Although the gray filly hasn't found her way back to the winner's circle since her 13 1/2-length graduation in the Fair Grounds mud Jan. 3, her runner-up efforts in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 28 and May 1 GI Kentucky Oaks–at odds of 26-1– have garnered her the 7-2 morning-line nod.
Another impressive gray will vie for the top spot Saturday in Robert Luttrell's undefeated Promise Me Silver (Silver City). She began her career running predominantly in stakes races in the South, including Oaklawn's Dixie Belle S. Jan. 15, Sam Houston's Two Altazano S. Feb. 14 and Oaklawn's Instant Racing S. Apr. 11. She handled her step up in class with deft precision, taking the GII Eight Belles S. at Churchill May 1 easily. She'll try stretching out to a mile for the first time in this Belmont test.
“It's a wide open race,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “It'll be a tough race, but I think she fits in well with them. It's going to be an exciting race; there's going to be some really great horses, but I think she fits well in it. She's had the experience of running over six different racetracks. I hope that that's helpful for her.”
Local speedster Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful) will look to bounce back to form here. The dark bay rolled to wire-to-wire wins in the GII Demoiselle going 1 1/18 mile at the Big A in November, the Busher S. Feb. 21 and the 1 1/8-mile GII Gazelle S. Apr. 4. The Rudy Rodriguez trainee set the early pace in the GI Kentucky Oaks, but faded in the stretch and finished ninth. Condo Commando should improve returning to her home track and cutting back to one mile.
Jack Swain III's lightly raced Miss Ella (Exchange Rate) will make just her third career start in this spot. Successful in her debut at Gulfstream Mar. 11, she annexed the seven-panel GII Beaumont S. at Keeneland Apr. 12. “I always thought she'd do well stretching out, so it seemed like a natural progression for what she likes,” trainer Graham Motion noted.
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