OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The lightly raced Always a Runner, a filly her trainer Chad Brown calls a spitting image of her Kentucky Derby-bound stablemate Emerging Market, punched her ticket into the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks field with a 1 1/4-length victory over the pacesetting Pashmina Saturday at Aqueduct in the $200,000 Gazelle. Like Emerging Market, Always a Runner did not debut until earlier this winter, winning a maiden race around two turns at Tampa Bay Downs. And, like Emerging Market, who earned 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in just his second start, Always a Runner did likewise with her victory in the Grade 2 Gazelle. “It’s ironic. I have a male and female version, she’s like a spitting image of Emerging Market,” Brown said. Both horses had pneumonia, they had almost the same exact thing. The filly’s pneumonia was actually a little more serious than his. Both of them had to leave my care and go to the hyperbaric chamber. That’s why they didn’t start in the fall. They were two of our best prospects. They both missed it, which I was just sick over because I really felt I had an Oaks and a Derby horse in both.” Much to the surprise of many, including her trainer Rob Atras, Pashmina sprinted right to the lead in the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle. Pashmina set an uncontested pace through splits of 23.84 seconds and 48.51 for the half with Always a Runner saving ground and rating about five lengths behind the leader in the run down the backstretch. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Always a Runner made a quick bid along the rail to move to closer contention entering the stretch. Pashmina briefly turned back that challenge when roused at the head of the lane and seemed home free through midstretch. But Always a Runner still had something left in the tank, surging inside the final sixteenth to wear down Pashmina despite switching back to her left lead approaching the wire. Pashmina was easily second-best, finishing another 8 3/4 lengths in front of the 6-5 favorite Paradise, who raced well placed for seven furlongs before coming up empty down the lane.  Nycon, Two Bits, Slow Kara, Baffle and Victory Hall rounded out the complete order of finish. Always a Runner, a son of Gun Runner, is owned in partnership by Douglas Scharbauer and her breeder Three Chimneys Farm. She was ridden to victory by Dylan Davis and returned $11.38 after completing the distance over a fast track in 1:50.97. Her clocking was .74 seconds faster than the final time for the Wood.  “Like Emerging Market, both he and this filly ended up in Tampa in two-turn races because I was playing catch-up a bit,” Brown said. “I wanted to give both a chance to get to their respective races without compromising their futures. So it was a bit of a fine line.” Unlike Emerging Market, however, Always a Runner suffered another minor setback when coming out of her maiden win with a temperature. “I really took her off the Oaks trail until her last two works,” Brown said. “She just breezed too good. It was kind of a last-minute decision to put her on the van and send her up here. Dylan (Davis) said he had so much horse turning for home. He felt like she was goofing around a little bit until she got closer to that other horse, then got interested again. For only her second start, to come up on a demanding mile and eighth track and grind it out and win, you think she’ll only get better with experience.” Brown did say he will weigh his options regarding a possible Oaks start for Always a Runner. “She’s only had two starts. Is she there yet and have enough experience to be competitive in the Oaks? Because it looks like she punched her ticket if we wanted to go,” Brown said. “It’s a big risk, big reward situation. I don’t want to be careless with this horse. But you don’t have a 20-horse field like in the Derby. And my gut would tell me it’s not that risky running her in a race like that.” Brown was also quick to praise Davis’ ride in the Gazelle. “I gave Dylan a plan, to follow the favorite all the way, then take a path inside or out, and he executed it just like we drew it up,” Brown said. Pashmina added 50 qualifying point to the 13 she had previously earned, putting her in a favorable position to possibly join Always a Runner in the Oaks field. “I wish we would have won, but I was very proud of her performance,” Atras said. “I really didn’t anticipate her being in front. Ramon (Vazquez) was smart. Nobody was really wanting to. I think she was beat by a really good horse. As for the Oaks, I don’t know yet. It’s not out of the question. I’ll talk to the owners. It’s definitely worth thinking about.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.