Espresso Shot to get stamina test in Gazelle Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Espresso Shot has already earned a spot in the Kentucky Oaks. Now, her connections want to see if she truly belongs in that $1.25 million race on May 3 at Churchill Downs. On Saturday at Aqueduct, Espresso Shot will try two turns and 1 1/8 miles – the configuration of the Oaks – for the first time in the Grade 2, $300,000 Gazelle Stakes.

Espresso Shot, a daughter of Mission Impazible, is 3 for 4 on dirt, all in one-turn races. She won a 1 1/16-mile maiden race against fellow New York-breds last September at Belmont and beat New York-breds again in the East View Stakes going a one-turn mile in December. In her lone start this year, Espresso Shot rallied from last in a nine-horse field to win the Busher Stakes, another one-turn-mile race, by three-quarters of a length. That victory earned her 50 qualifying points to the Oaks, which should be enough to get into the 14-horse field.

Initially, her connections thought about just training her up to the Oaks, but trainer Jorge Abreu wanted to find out sooner rather than later about Espresso Shot’s ability to get two turns and 1 1/8 miles.

“She’s been great at three-quarters and a flat mile; I just want to see if she can go the mile and an eighth,” Abreu said.

There is not much speed in the Gazelle, which concerns Abreu. But Espresso Shot did press the pace in her maiden win.

“She can be forwardly placed. She doesn’t have to come from way out of it,” Abreu said. “She gets along well enough with Eric [Cancel] that he can place her wherever she’s comfortable.”

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Among Espresso Shot’s rivals is Positive Spirit, who last fall romped to a 10 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Demoiselle here. In her lone start since, Positive Spirit finished last of eight in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds, beaten 25 lengths. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset said he has “no idea” what went wrong at Fair Grounds. Ultimately, he deduced that Positive Spirit wasn’t fit enough for that 1 1/16-mile race.

“We know the [Demoiselle] time was slow. We are realistic, but she is better than what she did in the Rachel Alexandra,” Brisset said.

Jose Ortiz will ride Positive Spirit.

Always Shopping won the Busanda Stakes at 1 1/8 miles as a maiden for trainer Todd Pletcher. She was scratched from the Busher Stakes, with Pletcher not wanting to cut her back in distance to a one-turn mile.

Pletcher will also send out Off Topic, who won a maiden race at Gulfstream in December and was second in an Oaklawn Park allowance on Feb. 17.

Proud Emma, a first-level allowance winner at Santa Anita a month ago, ships here for trainer Peter Miller. Afleet Destiny, a well-beaten second in the Demoiselle and third in the Busanda, ships up from Parx for trainer Uriah St. Lewis.