Casual, Gamine seek Oaks points in seven-horse Acorn

Jun 17, 2020 by James Scully/TwinSpires.com

Saturday’s $300,000 Acorn (G1) at Belmont Park features an exciting match-up between unbeaten fillies Casual Look and Gamine. Both will be making their stakes debut the one-mile event, and the Acorn has been added as Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier.

The top four finishers will earn points on a 50-20-10-5 scale toward a berth in the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

Casual Look exits a sharp entry-level allowance tally at Churchill on May 22, edging away to score by more than a length for Steve Asmussen. The Curlin filly broke her maiden when making her career debut at Oaklawn Park in mid-April, and Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call.

Gamine, a $1.8 million daughter of Into Mischief, will cut back to a one-turn trip following a game win in a May 2 entry-level allowance at Oaklawn. She was flattered when the runner-up, Speech, came back to run second in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1), and Gamine promises to show speed from her innermost post. John Velazquez will be up for Bob Baffert.

The Acorn marks the 2020 debut of Perfect Alibi, last seen finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Aqueduct. The Mark Casse-trained lass captured the Spinaway (G1) and Adirondack (G2) last summer, and the dark bay daughter of 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb will add new jockey Manny Franco.

Water White will make her first start since upsetting the March 7 Busher Invitational S. at Aqueduct. Rudy Rodriguez trains the gray filly, and Jorge Vargas Jr. guides the late runner. Multiple stakes vixen Lucrezia exits a runner-up finish in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). Stakes-placed Pleasant Orb will make her second stakes appearance, and last-out allowance/optional claiming scorer Glass Ceiling completes the field.