Schettino has two good shots Thursday

Dominick Schettino has excellent chances in two New York-bred races when the Aqueduct week begins Thursday.

Shotgun Love should be favored to go wire to wire in race 3, a maiden sprint, and Liberty Island drops out of stakes company into a first-level optional claimer in the sixth.

“I’m really hoping to have a good day,” said Schettino, a 48-year-old native of the Bronx.

This is a three-day week at the Big A, as racing is prohibited on Palm Sunday. This is also the final week over the inner track before the main surface opens and Wednesdays return to the schedule April 1.

When 2015 race dates were originally allocated, this was a dark week on the New York Racing Association calendar. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday cards have been added to replace days lost to winter cancellations.

Shotgun Love is a half-sister to the undefeated Lovely Syn, whom Schettino sent out for four lopsided victories in 2013, including a New York Stallion Stakes score and, in her final career start, a 10-length romp in the Bouwerie Stakes.

Shotgun Love is fast but has been caught late in her first two races. In upper stretch of her debut, Shotgun Love put away Stonely Heart – who may be her strongest challenger Thursday – and drew clear. She became weary late, and Stoneley Heart came on again, along with race winner Zippity Zoom, to nail her nearing the wire.

In her most recent start, Shotgun Love again opened a clear lead but failed to last. Schettino has reason to believe she will finish better Thursday.

“Before her last race, we missed a work because of the weather, and she got tired the last sixteenth,” he said. “She’s coming into this race pretty fit.”

Schettino goes a long way back with Shotgun Love’s family and her connections. He trained Lemon Drop’s Love, the dam of Shotgun Love, Lovely Syn, and the $176,000 earner Lemon Tiger, for the late Joseph Parisi, who raced and bred both Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds and founded the 800-acre White Birch Farm in Allentown, N.J. Parisi’s son, Michael, now owns and operates the farm and stable.

Liberty Island will face easier company in race 6 than she has in her last two starts, the Busanda and Busher stakes. A debut winner going two turns in December, Liberty Island was second-best in the mile-and-70-yard Busanda. Last out, she threw in the towel on the far turn of the Busher and finished last after racing close early to the winner, Condo Commando.

“We couldn’t find anything wrong with her after the race, and she’s trained very good since,” Schettino said. “Fillies are like ballplayers – sometimes they throw in a bad game. Her last work was excellent.”

Liberty Island was a $135,000 2-year-old buy last year by the Xavier Racing Partners of Chris Brothers.

Thursday’s card also includes a second-level optional-claiming sprint. Maleeh, who finished fourth in the Tom Fool behind Salutos Amigos last time out, may go favored over expected pacesetter Green Gatto, who has been competitive here all winter and is overdue for a win.

Key contenders (Race 6)

Liberty Island (Last 3 Beyers: 40-65-67)

◗ She has made all three of her starts around two turns.

“She has tactical speed, but she’s shown me right along that distance is good for her,” Schettino said. “In the morning, she just keeps going and going. She doesn’t get tired.”

Golden Gem (Beyers: 70-74)

◗ She stretches out around two turns for Rick Violette after winning her debut in November and finishing second in the statebred Franklin Square Stakes behind the quick Hard to Stay Notgo.

◗ A daughter of Wildcat Heir, she has had five works since her last start Feb. 1, including a mile over the inner track March 16.

Perfect Freud (Last 3 Beyers: 66-58-63)

◗ Claimed for $40,000 out of a maiden race, she has since won a $50,000 maiden claimer and for the optional $75,000 price at this level. Trainer Sydney Dutrow has entered her here under the first-level allowance condition.