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Espresso Shot looks to again jolt Aqueduct stakes competition in Biogio’s Rose

by Brian Bohl

Espresso Shot has won a stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack at ages 2, 3 and 4 and will look to register a win at the Big A for a fourth consecutive year as she competes in the $100,000 Biogio’s Rose for New York-bred fillies and mares 4-years-old and up going a one-turn mile on Sunday.

Owned by NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, Maspeth Stables and Parkland Thoroughbreds, Espresso Shot has finished on the board in half of her 18 career starts, sporting a 4-3-2 record and earnings of $414,105 for trainer Jorge Abreu.

All three of her stakes wins have come at Aqueduct, including a two-length score in the New York Stallion Stakes Series Staten Island on November 22 that closed her 2020 campaign. Making her 5-year-old debut, the Mission Impazible mare ran third in the seven-furlong La Verdad on January 3 at the Ozone Park-based oval.

Abreu said the two-month respite could set her up well in running at the same track in which she captured the 2018 East View going one mile and the 2019 Busher held at the same distance.

Espresso Shot, 3-1-1 in 10 career Aqueduct starts, was bred by Twin Creeks Farm. Eric Cancel, who piloted her to the win in the Busher, will be in the irons from post 3.

“She’s been training well and really does love Aqueduct, so we’ll see what happens,” Abreu said.

A1A Racing’s Wasp has never finished worse than second in four career starts, showing great consistency after not racing as a juvenile. The Todd Pletcher trainee didn’t make it to the track until running second on October 4 over a fast Belmont track going 6 ½ furlongs.

Wasp, bred by Joanne T. Nielsen, made the first of three starts over a sloppy and sealed surface with a 10 ¼-length maiden-breaking win going 1 1/16 miles on October 30 at Belmont. She ran a close second, a half-length back to Timeless Journey at the Biogio’s Rose distance on December 5 before capping her sophomore year with a one-length score at the same distance last out on New Year’s Eve.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will pick up the mount, drawing the outermost post 6 in Wasp’s 4-year-old – and stakes – debut.

“She’s coming off a layoff and has been training well since her last start,” said Pletcher assistant Byron Hughes. “Judging by the way she trains, she should be able to tackle stakes company.”

Wasp was purchased for $350,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Ten Strike Racing’s Critical Value will add blinkers for a return to stakes company for the first time since running seventh in the Empire Distaff Handicap going 1 1/16 miles on October 16 at Belmont.

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart and bred by Marshall Gramm and Clay Sanders, Critical Value is a two-time stakes winners, adding the Bouwerie in June and the Maid of the Mist in October at Belmont to her ledger.

Manny Franco will ride from post 5.

Lucky Move, also owned by Ten Strike Racing, capped her 6-year-old year with a win in the Bay Ridge on December 13 at Aqueduct for trainer Juan Guerrero, who kept his charge at 1 1/8 miles for her 7-year-old bow when fourth in the Ladies Handicap on January 17. After running fourth in the Nellie Morse on February 20 at 1 1/16 miles at Laurel, Lucky Move will shorten back to one mile, drawing post 4 with meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche aboard.

Mr. Amore Stable’s Firenze Freedom, fourth last out in the Bay Ridge on December 13 after besting allowance company on October 10 at Belmont, will seek her first stakes win for trainer Kelly Breen. Trevor McCarthy has the call from post 1 aboard Firenze Freedom, who adds blinkers.

Ruggeri Stable’s Love and Love rounds out the field, making her first career stakes appearance in her 20th start for trainer Michael Miceli. The 5-year-old’s last win came at Aqueduct in December when she topped optional claimers going one mile. Dylan Davis has the riding assignment and will break from post 2.

The Biogio’s Rose is slated as Race 7 on Sunday’s eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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