Espresso Shot Rallies to Win Busher Stakes
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Espresso Shot wins the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
New York-bred Espresso Shot rallied from near the back of the pack to earn a three-quarter-length score in the $250,000 Busher Stakes, closing out a lucrative March 9 card at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Jorge Abreu for NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, Maspeth Stables, and Parkland Thoroughbreds, Espresso Shot arrived at the Busher, which offers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), fresh off a victory in the restricted East View Stakes at the Big A.
"It's so exciting to go from winning a (restricted) stakes with a New York-bred to come into open company and basically ensure a spot in the Kentucky Oaks," said Daniel Zanatta, managing partner of NY Final Furlong Racing Stable. "It's pretty special. We only buy New York-bred fillies. My dream is not to win the Kentucky Derby, my dream is to win the Kentucky Oaks with a New York-bred filly, and we're on our way, so it's very exciting."
Excess Capacity, at odds of 32-1, set a contested pace in the one-turn mile for sophomore fillies, marking a quarter-mile in :23.51 and the half-mile in :46.58 under pressure from Orra Moor and Filly Joel.
Filly Joel surged to the lead into the turn, with the previously undefeated Please Flatter Me and Orra Moor in hot pursuit. Espresso Shot, picking off runners one by one under Eric Cancel, was third at the top of the lane and closed outside of rivals to take command.
Please Flatter Me, game on the inside, drifted out into her rivals as Oxy Lady, who captured the Tempted Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Nov. 2, was full of run but in need of racing room.
Espresso Shot fought bravely to the wire, just holding off the late surge of Oxy Lady for the narrow win in a final time of 1:37.69 over a fast main track. Orra Moor, a head back of Oxy Lady, completed the trifecta a head in front of Please Flatter Me.
Filly Joel, Enliven, Dovey Lovey, Excess Capacity, and Ujjayi completed the order of finish.
"I had a wonderful trip. I had it all planned out in my mind. I mean, it worked very well," said Cancel. "The filly broke there with them. I was just trying to get her to a comfortable position, where we were both happy. … Once I started getting closer to the three-eighths, I just swung her out a little bit and just let her cruise around. Once I got to the quarter pole, it was 'let's go.'"
Following the race, the stewards launched an inquiry into the stretch run of Please Flatter Me, while Jack Sisterson, trainer of runner-up Oxy Lady, claimed foul against the winner. Both inquiries were dismissed.
Javier Castellano, pilot of Oxy Lady, was pleased with the effort despite the difficult trip.
"I maybe could have won the race, but (Please Flatter Me) was hit left-handed (by jockey Alex Cintron) and came over and bumped some of the other horses in between," said Castellano. "I got the worse of it in that case. But it's nothing you can control.
"She has a lot of talent. That's the way she's supposed to run: off the pace. I liked the way she finished today."
Espresso Shot, bred by Twin Creeks Farm out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Glory Gold, increased her earnings to $262,975. She paid $10.20 to win on a $2 wager. The daughter of Mission Impazible was a $69,000 purchase by Final Furlong Racing from Paramount Sales' consignment to Fasig-Tipton's New York Bred Yearlings Sale.