Impressive Winner Venti Valentine Hunts Oaks Points

NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Venti Valentine  will look to continue her journey down the Road to the Kentucky Oaks in the April 9 $250,000 Gazelle (G3) for sophomore fillies going nine furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Gazelle offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers. 

A New York-bred daughter of Firing Line  , Venti Valentine has compiled a near-perfect record, registering three wins from four starts, including two stakes victories. The Jorge Abreu trainee was a winner last out in the Busher Invitational by an impressive seven lengths in her sophomore debut. 

The bay filly kicked things off with a debut win going six furlongs at Belmont Park in September, rallying from 10th to nab a nose victory against fellow state-breds. She stepped up to stakes company next outing,  easily taking the Maid of the Mist Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths when stretched out to a one-turn mile in October, stalking a bit closer and taking command at the top of the lane. 

Venti Valentine's graded stakes debut came in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at the Big A Dec. 4, which also marked her first attempt at nine furlongs. Ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Venti Valentine was positioned a half-length from the lead at the half-mile marker before making her run at pacesetter and winner Nest . She closed well to the outside but came up short and was beaten a neck. 

"We knew she had talent early on, and turning from 2 to 3, you could see the right change on her," Abreu said of Venti Valentine's development. "She got stronger, she was more focused, and she showed that in her last race." 

Venti Valentine posted a sharp five-furlong work in :59.11 over the Belmont dirt training track March 27 with Manny Franco up and made her final Gazelle preparation April 2, breezing a half-mile in 49.90 in company with stablemate Guardian Moon . 

"They breezed really well," Abreu said. "I gave her a really strong breeze the week before with Manny." Franco will pilot the filly from post 5.

The field will be comprised by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Long Valley Stables filly Divine Huntress  under the eye of Graham Motion. Classy Edition  will look to bounce back to her winning ways for Robert and Lawana Low after a defeat in the Davona Dale Stakes Presented by FanDuel (G2) for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who will also saddle maiden winner Greatitude . Godolphin's homebred, Nostalgic , is still in search of her first stakes triumph with trainer Bill Mott. 

Completing the field are stakes winners Morning Matcha  and Shotgun Hottie , a stakes-winning, well-beaten runner-up to Venti Valentine in the Busher; and stakes-placed Caragate . 

Search Results Makes 2022 Debut in Aqueduct's Distaff Handicap

Klaravich Stables' grade 1 winner Search Results  will make her seasonal debut in Saturday's $150,000 Distaff Handicap (G3), a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares at Aqueduct.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, the 4-year-old daughter of Flatter   posted six starts seeing a record of 4-1-1 last season, including Big A wins in the one-turn mile Busher Invitational and nine-furlong Gazelle ahead of a runner-up effort to Malathaat  in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Search Results exited her narrow Oaks defeat to win the Acorn Stakes (G1) traveling a one-turn mile June 5 at Belmont and completed her campaign with a third-place finish in the Longines Test Stakes (G1) at seven furlongs Aug. 7 at Saratoga Race Course.

Brown said Search Results, who has trained extensively at Payson Park in Florida for her return, should appreciate a return to the Big A.

"She's doing well. She's freshened up well down at Payson," Brown said. "This is a good spot and we know that she likes Aqueduct."

Jose Ortiz will pilot Search Results, who carries a field-high 123 pounds, from post 4.

Shadwell Stable's homebred Zaajel  will be making her seasonal debut off a six-month layoff for trainer Todd Pletcher. 

The Mother Goose (G2) and Forward Gal Stakes (G3) winner has been training at Palm Beach Downs for her return, including a half-mile breeze in :48.39 April 1.

"She wintered really well," Pletcher said. "She had a good freshening and gained some weight. She's training sharply like she always does. She ran well in her debut at this distance and we're excited about getting her back. Hopefully, she continues to improve."

The field is rounded out by Glass Ceiling , trained and co-owned by Charlton Baker with Michael S. Foster; Kept Waiting , coming off a three-race win streak for trainer Robert Falcone Jr. and owners Sanford Goldfarb, Irwin Goldfarb, and Nice Guys Stables. Winner of the 6 1/2-furlong Xtra Heat Stakes March 26, Easy to Bless  will make a bid for Amsterdam Two Stables; and Zilla Racing Stables and Perrine Time Thoroughbreds' stakes-placed runner Dealing Justice  complete the six-horse field.

Entries: Gazelle S. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, April 09, 2022, Race 10

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Morning Matcha (PA)	Frankie Pennington	120	Robert E. Reid, Jr.	8/1
2	2Greatitude (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Todd A. Pletcher	15/1
3	3Nostalgic (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	William I. Mott	9/2
4	4Shotgun Hottie (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	118	William E. Morey	12/1
5	5Venti Valentine (NY)	Manuel Franco	120	Jorge R. Abreu	7/5
6	6Classy Edition (NY)	Joel Rosario	118	Todd A. Pletcher	5/2
7	7Divine Huntress (MD)	Dylan Davis	118	H. Graham Motion	8/1
8	8Caragate (NY)	Eric Cancel	118	Mitchell E. Friedman	30/1

Entries: Distaff H. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, April 09, 2022, Race 5

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:05 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Easy to Bless (KY)	Jacqueline A. Davis	117	James W. Ferraro	12/1
2	2Dealing Justice (KY)	Manuel Franco	116	Raymond Handal	20/1
3	3Zaajel (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Todd A. Pletcher	6/1
4	4Search Results (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	123	Chad C. Brown	1/1
5	5Kept Waiting (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Robert N. Falcone, Jr.	8/1
6	6Glass Ceiling (KY)	Dylan Davis	122	Charlton Baker	8/5