Venti Valentine returns with strong win in Busher Invitational
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Venti Valentine left New York three months ago a player for the Kentucky Oaks following her narrow defeat to Nest in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct. Upon her return to New York, Venti Valentine solidified her status as an Oaks contender with an authoritative seven-length victory in Saturday’s $250,000 Busher Invitational at Aqueduct.
Sitting a close-up third under Manny Franco, Venti Valentine took over from pacesetting Magic Circle in midstretch, and despite drifting out a bit under Franco’s left-handed whip, she finished the final furlong impressively to record her third victory from four starts.
Shotgun Hottie rallied for second by three-quarters of a length over Magic Circle. Radio Days, the 1-2 favorite, was a non-threatening fourth, while Sterling Silver ran last all the way around. Morning Matcha scratched.
Venti Valentine, a New York-bred daughter of Firing Line, earned 50 points toward a potential start in the Kentucky Oaks on May 6 at Churchill Downs. It was three years ago that Espresso Shot won this same race for these same connections – owners NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds and trainer Jorge Abreu – but she faltered in the Gazelle and did not run in the Oaks.
“I think this horse is a better horse than Espresso Shot,” Abreu said afterward. “She shows more determination. Espresso Shot loved Aqueduct and had distance limitations. I think the farther [Venti Valentine] goes, the better she’s going to be.”
She will likely get the chance to run 1 1/8 miles again in the Grade 3 Gazelle here on April 9.
The Busher, a one-turn mile, was a good comeback spot for Venti Valentine. She had won the Maid of the Mist Stakes versus New York-breds last October before she ran in the Demoiselle.
Saturday, she was running off a limited work tab from her time in South Florida. Abreu said Venti Valentine got sick following her first breeze at Palm Meadows on Jan. 8 and was off the tab until Jan. 28.
Franco, who was riding Venti Valentine for the first time, had worked the filly last Sunday at Belmont and liked what he felt.
Saturday, Franco hustled Venti Valentine away from the gate, but after the opening eighth he grabbed a hold of her to get Venti Valentine to the outside. Magic Circle, under Kendrick Carmouche, ran an opening quarter in 24.23 seconds and a half-mile in 48.19 tracked by Radio Days.
Venti Valentine made it three abreast entering the far turn. At the top of the lane Radio Days retreated, but Magic Circle kept going. Franco got into Venti Valentine left-handed and though she drifted out, Franco straightened her out and she ran away from Magic Circle.
“I knew the filly was going to run a good race, I’m not going to lie and say I knew she was going to win that easily,” Abreu said.
Franco said Venti Valentine drifting out “wasn’t the filly. It was me. I was worried about somebody coming from the outside but I didn’t feel anybody coming.”
Venti Valentine covered the mile in 1:39.65 and returned $12.60. She earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
Radio Days, coming off a defeat int the Grade 3 Forward Gal, was made the 1-2 favorite in the Busher. Jockey Dylan Davis said when Venti Valentine came up to his filly at the half-mile pole Radio Days “engaged and she was moving well but then she couldn’t keep that forward momentum for some reason today. She didn’t have it today. She’d been running well, this is just disappointing.”