Abscond's heart-pounding win in the $250,000 Natalma S. (G1) came just about an hour after Decorated Invader won the Summer S. (G1), giving Eddie Woods a Grade 1, 2-year-old double on the Sunday card Woodbine. 

Abscond was purchased by her co-owner Apogee Bloodstock at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling sale and turned over to Woods. The 2-year-old daughter of Blame RNA'ed at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Spring Sale this May, and Apogee races her in partnership with Mike Anderson Racing Stable.

After winning her July 21 debut at Ellis Park, she was second in Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. before shipping to Woodbine. 

Abscond broke very well from post 8 and was side-by-side with Walk In Marrakesh from the outset. Those two were inseparable the rest of the first seven furlongs, when Fair Maiden joined the fray to make it a three-way battle to the wire. Walk In Marrakesh looked like a winner a few strides from home, but Abscond put her nose down on the wire to get the win in 1:36.51 for the mile on the firm turf.

“I’m really impressed with her,” said Kelly Wheeler, assistant to trainer Eddie Kenneally. “She’s done everything right since she broke her maiden. Really, we’ve asked a lot of her shipping her up to Saratoga – she handled that great. So we shipped her up here, it looked like a good spot, and she came through.” 

The win also secured the filly a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), though Wheeler said plans were up in the air for now.

“I guess it’s up to Eddie and the owner,” said Wheeler. “She’ll tell us, how she comes out of the race. She’ll ship back to Kentucky and we’ll go from there.”