TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon

 

Espresso Yourself

It’s been a rather vanilla start for Triple Espresso, who despite a superstar backing in jockey-trainer duo Irad Ortiz Jr. and Todd Pletcher, has yet to make waves on the big stage.

Through six contests, Triple Espresso has competed at both the stakes (Black Type and Listed) and graded stakes levels (Grade 2 Pilgrim and Grade 3 Jeff Ruby) a total of four times. However, the son of Omaha Beach has missed the podium thrice in those four attempts.

So far, the only win on Triple Espresso’s 1-1-1 lifetime line came in a maiden special weight dash on Jan. 20.

That can change this Saturday at Aqueduct, where the 3-year-old colt will take his third shot at a graded score in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge (G2T).

The 1 1/8-mile turf test will be Triple Espresso’s second consecutive try at the distance, after a hard-fought fourth in the Jeff Ruby last out on Mar. 23.

 

Road to Revenge

By the time Saturday’s $250,000 Keertana rolls around, Atomic Blonde (GER) (3-1) will have waited 29 days for a shot at revenge.

The 5-year-old mare gets a second shot at Chop Chop (9-5), whom she landed 2 ¼-lengths behind in April’s Bewitch (G3T) at Keeneland.

It’s been a frustrating go for Atomic Blonde since joining the North American circuit on Apr. 1, 2023. In eight starts, six of which came at the graded level, the Christophe Clement trainee owns an 0-3-3 line.

While Atomic Blonde has certainly shown a nose for the podium, a trip to the winner’s circle has been about as difficult as MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton’s mission in the 2017 spy-thriller by the same name.

It won’t get any easier this weekend at Churchill Downs, but perhaps the added fuel of taking down a familiar foe will finally be enough to push the Tyler Gaffalione mount over the hump.

 

Dial Back the Drama

If 5-year-old gelding Octane and rider Emisael Jaramillo perform up to standard, Saturday’s $100,000 Big Drama at Gulfstream will be anything but.

As a duo, Octane and Jaramillo enter the 7-furlong tilt with a top three finish rate of 68 per cent (19: 8-4-1), good for over $1 million in total earnings.

That said, in the six instances where the duo failed to reach the podium, they were nowhere to be found. Three sixths, two sevenths, and one fifth have put a slight damper on what’s otherwise been an impressive four-year run for Octane and Jaramillo.

The pair can avenge their most recent falter, a seventh in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2), with a composed ride in the Big Drama.

 

Home Field Advantage

Heralded mare Adare Manor has made 11 of her 19 career starts at Santa Anita. In those 11 California cruises, the 5-year-old has gone 6-4-0 with four graded triumphs, most notably the $1.25 million Apple Blossom (G1).

The Juan Hernandez pilot can improve her already outstanding Santa Anita slash line in the $200,000 Santa Margarita (G2) on Sunday afternoon.

Returning to her home away from home in her first taste of action since the Apple Blossom score (Apr. 13), the Kentucky-bred has simply stood as one of the North American circuit’s top performers since her professional debut on Halloween 2021.

She’ll have her hands full, however, with a trio of formidable challengers in Coffee in Bed, Super Shine, and Linda’s Gift, who together have claimed six graded/group titles.

 

Seconds, Please

Entering his fifth season on the job, there isn’t much left for Lane Way to accomplish before hanging up the horseshoes.

The 7-year-old gelding, who’s only fallen short of the podium three times in 22 starts (5-6-8), has shown no signs of slowing down in 2024.

Following consecutive thirds in the San Simeon (G3) and Siren Lure, Lane Way can track down an elusive second graded trophy in the $100,000 Daytona (G3T) on Sunday at Santa Anita.

The Kazushi Kimura mount finally earned a graded decision in September’s Eddie D (G2) after running to three seconds at the level in 2022.

Now, with a taste for what it takes, Lane Way enters the Daytona at just the right time.