Kentucky Oaks Points Up For Grabs in Gazelle
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Espresso Shot takes the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Berths in the May 3 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) are on the line as six sophomore fillies line up to do battle in the $300,000 Gazelle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack April 6 at nine furlongs. The Gazelle delivers qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four finishers.
New York-bred Espresso Shot is the 9-5 morning-line favorite after graduating from a victory over state-breds in the Dec. 29 East View Stakes to take the March 9 Busher Stakes in open company at a flat mile. Owned by NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, Maspeth Stables, and Parkland Thoroughbreds, the Mission Impazible filly has two wins and a second from three starts at the Big A, and the big question is whether she will get enough pace to close into because not a lot of speed is signed up for the Gazelle.
Top weight in the Gazelle will be carried by Mike Ryan’s Positive Spirit, who will tote 122 pounds—two more than Espresso Shot. Positive Spirit routed her field in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct in December, but her 3-year-old debut ran aground when she finished last in the Feb. 16 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots after acting up at the gate. She has shown the ability to race close to the pace and could inherit the lead in this bunch.
Repole Stable's Always Shopping took the Busanda Stakes in February at Aqueduct as a maiden at nine furlongs and looks to be on the improve for trainer Todd Pletcher. She is a midpack runner who has displayed a strong closing kick in her past two outs. Paul Pompa's Off Topic, also trained by Pletcher, broke her maiden just before New Year's, then finished second of nine in an optional-claiming allowance at Oaklawn Park in February. She also tends to do her running from the middle of the field and may benefit from the nine furlongs.
Proud Emma has done some traveling in her young career. She started in Kentucky, where she broke her maiden in October at Keeneland while in for a claiming tag of $50,000. She has since won in starter optional-claiming company at Del Mar and optional-claiming allowance company at Santa Anita Park and is now in the barn of Peter Miller. She is another closer.
Afleet Destiny rounds out the field from the rail. She finished a distant second to Positive Spirit in the Demoiselle and was well behind Always Shopping when third in the Busanda. A trip to Maryland last out didn’t bring the hoped-for results as she weakened in the Beyond The Wire Stakes at Laurel Park. She will need to pick up her game here.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, April 06, 2019, Race 8Entries: Gazelle S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Afleet Destiny (KY)
Anthony Salgado
118
Uriah St. Lewis
15/1
2
2Espresso Shot (NY)
Eric Cancel
120
Jorge R. Abreu
9/5
3
3Off Topic (KY)
John R. Velazquez
118
Todd A. Pletcher
5/1
4
4Positive Spirit (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
122
Rodolphe Brisset
5/2
5
5Always Shopping (KY)
Manuel Franco
120
Todd A. Pletcher
3/1
6
6Proud Emma (KY)
Junior Alvarado
118
Peter Miller
6/1
