Always Shopping pulls away late to win Gazelle Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Patience paid off for Always Shopping, whose connections will now have to buy some fancy clothes and hats for next month’s Kentucky Oaks.

Always Shopping was entered in the Busher Stakes last month at Aqueduct, but trainer Todd Pletcher didn’t feel like the one-turn-mile configuration of that race was going to benefit his filly. So, he decided to wait another four weeks for the Grade 2, $300,000 Gazelle Stakes, at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.

It was worth the wait, as Always Shopping, after sparring with the pacesetting Positive Spirit from the three-eighths pole to midstretch, pulled away late under Manny Franco to win the Gazelle by 1 3/4 lengths over Positive Spirit. It was a neck farther back to Off Topic in third. Proud Emma finished fourth, followed by Espresso Shot, and Afleet Destiny.

The win was the second straight for Always Shopping, who on Feb. 3 won the Busanda Stakes, also at 1 1/8 miles.

Explaining the decision to scratch out of the Busher, Pletcher said, “We just felt like she’s not a real big filly, she seemed to like the mile and an eighth. We felt like the little extra time and waiting for the mile and an eighth was the right move. I’m glad it worked out.”

Always Shopping earned 100 points toward the Grade 1, $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks and now has 150 total points.

Always Shopping had come from midpack to win the Busanda as a maiden. But there was no pace in the Gazelle, so Franco had Always Shopping sitting second, within a length of Positive Spirit, through a half-mile in 50.09 seconds.

Approaching the three-eighths pole, Franco went after Jose Ortiz on Positive Spirit, and the two matched strides past the eighth pole. Inside the sixteenth pole, Always Shopping began to edge away.

Always Shopping, a daughter of Awesome Again and Stopshoppingmaria, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.91 and returned $9.90 as the third choice.

“On paper, there wasn’t any pace; it was one of those races where you kind of look at it and have no real good sense who’s going to be on the lead,” Pletcher said. “We let Manny do his thing. He put her in a good spot, she put him in a good spot. He said he felt like he had a lot of horse the whole way.”

:: Shop for PPs, picks, DRF+ and more in our store!

Pletcher noted that Always Shopping’s speed figures have improved with every race. He knows the filly will need to improve to be competitive in the Oaks.

“I think the key is if she can continue moving forward; I think she’s proven two turns, a mile and an eighth is her thing,” Pletcher said. “I actually think she’d be better off in a race that did have a real pace where she could settle and make one run.”

Positive Spirit, who won the Demoiselle here last November, bounced back from a last-place finish in the Rachel Alexandra with a game effort in the Gazelle. She now has 50 qualifying points to get into the Oaks if owner Michael Ryan and trainer Rodolphe Brisset so choose.