Venti Valentine on top of her game entering Gazelle
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The connections of Venti Valentine weren’t sure what type of performance they were going to get in last month’s Busher Invitational. The New York-bred filly had been targeting the Busher but missed some time training due to a temperature.
Trainer Jorge Abreu expressed a little concern that she might have been a short horse entering the one-mile race. But Venti Valentine, despite a wide trip, blew the competition away, cruising to a seven-length score and improving her overall record to 3-1-0 from four starts.
With that performance under her belt, Venti Valentine enters Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle Stakes as the filly to beat in the 1 1/8-mile race, which serves as a stepping-stone to the May 6 Kentucky Oaks. The Gazelle offers qualifying points for the Oaks to the first four finishers on a 100-40-20-10 basis.
“We didn’t think we’d blow out that field,” said Daniel Zanatta, racing manager for NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, which owns Venti Valentine with Parkland Thoroughbreds. “She definitely surprised us. We kind of planned to have her 100 percent ready and cranked for the Gazelle.
“With the Busher and four solid works underneath her, she’s in a really good position.”
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Venti Valentine’s only defeat was a neck loss to Nest in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes here last Dec. 4. In that race, Venti Valentine appeared to shy away briefly from a getting-out Magic Circle and that may have cost her just enough momentum in her deep stretch battle with Nest, who was scheduled to run in Friday’s Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland.
Manny Franco rides Venti Valentine from post 5.
Trainer Bill Mott sends out Nostalgic in the Gazelle. Nostalgic finished fourth in the Demoiselle, where she was allowed to drop too far off the pace before finishing fourth. After finishing last of nine on turf in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant at Gulfstream, Nostalgic won a first-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Gulfstream on March 3. She was kept closer to the pace in that race than in the Demoiselle.
“I guess it’s always a bit of a learning experience with any horse, but the last time being at Gulfstream, being one of the favorites we tried to let her lay up a little closer into the race and I think she did it and still finished up nicely,” said Mott, who trains Nostalgic for Godolphin Racing.
Classy Edition, a multiple stakes winner in New York-bred company sprinting, ran a good second behind Kathleen O. in the Grade 2 Davona Dale at Gulfstream in her 3-year-old debut. Kathleen O. came back to win last Saturday’s Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks to cement her status as one of the Kentucky Oaks favorites.
In considering the stretch-out for Classy Edition from the one mile of the Davona Dale to 1 1/8 miles in the Gazelle, trainer Todd Pletcher said, “We’ve always felt like this is what she’s been wanting to do.”
Pletcher also sends out Greatitude, fifth in the Grade 3 Forward Gal at Gulfstream last out.
Morning Matcha was second here in the Busanda and then won the two-turn Main Line Stakes at Parx by 6 3/4 lengths. Her trainer, Butch Reid, believes the farther the better for this daughter of Central Banker, who will be making her 10th start
Shotgun Hottie won the Ruthless at seven furlongs and was second to Venti Valentine in the Busher. Divine Huntress was a smart-looking allowance winner at Parx but then encountered traffic when running ninth in the Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds. Caragate completes the field.