Prioress

Jeffrey Tucker's ACEY DEUCEY (Abaginone) returned from more than a two-month

layoff on Saturday to get up in the final yards and win the $250,000

Prioress S.

(G1) at Belmont Park. The bay filly broke well and settled in fifth under jockey

Diane Nelson through an opening quarter in :22 1/5 and :45 3/5 for the half, set

by the Todd Pletcher-trained Maddalena (Good and Tough). After splitting rivals

on the far turn and into the stretch, Acey Deucey maneuvered her way to second

as Maddalena still led by 1 1/2 lengths through five furlongs in :57 3/5.

Angled out for

clear sailing, Nelson and her mount began to wear down Maddalena and Eibar Coa,

who fought hard in the final yards but had done too much on the front end and

fell a half-length short at the wire. Acey Deucey stopped the clock in 1:10

1/5 for six fast track furlongs.

The winner, who provided Nelson with her first Grade 1 victory, returned a nice $28.60, $8.20 and $5.80 at 13-1 and started

healthy exotics of $92.50 for the exacta and $285 for the trifecta. Maddalena,

coupled with third-place finisher Sense of Style (Thunder Gulch), was 1

3/4 lengths ahead of her entry mate and both paid $3.90 and $4.60. They were

followed by post-time favorite Talented (Fusiachi Pegasus), R Fast Lady (Artax),

Slew Motion (Slew Gin Fizz) and Burnish (Menifee). Contrast (Unbridled) was

withdrawn.

Bred in the Empire State by Glen Grey Farm, Acey Deucey is the first stakes

winner out of the unraced

Misty Mountains (Al Nasr [Fr]) and was purchased for $35,000 at the 2004 OBS

April sale. She adds this win to scores in the Comely S.

(G2) and Dearly Precious S. and now shows a line of 9-5-2-1 with earnings of

$381,080.