Stud TNT's dominating maiden winner Running Away tackles black-type company for the first time in the $125,000 Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Busanda is the first of Aqueduct's prep races for the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) and offers Road to the Kentucky Oaks points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five finishers. All nine sophomore fillies will be vying for their first batch of points in Saturday's race.
Running Away, who hails from the family of 2005 Kentucky Oaks victress Summerly, just missed in her first two outings on the turf for trainer Wesley Ward before rolling to a wire-to-wire score in her dirt debut Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky shipper will break from the outer 9 post in the 1 1/8-mile contest with jockey Sahin Civaci in the irons.
Among the cast of locals in the Busanda includes Domenick Schettino-trained Bernieandtherose, 2-for-3 against New York-breds as well as Ramify and Sharp Smile, a pair of recent Aqueduct maiden winners from top trainers Chad Brown and Brad Cox, respectively.
Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle two Sunday, one from his South Florida string and the other stabled in New York. Vanning in from the south is Ruth, an Uncle Mo full sister to grade 2 winner Mopotism, who captured her debut last month at Gulfstream Park in a one-mile maiden special weight. Pletcher also has Empire State-based entrant Carmen's Candy Jar, one of the most experienced runners in the field with six starts, and is thrice stakes-placed for owner/breeder Repole Stable.
Entries: Busanda S.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, January 18, 2025, Race 8
- STK
- 1 1/8m
- Dirt
- $125,000
- 3 yo Fillies
- 3:39 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sharp Smile (KY) | Manuel Franco | 118 | Brad H. Cox | - |
| 2 | Beautiful Blome (MD) | Eric Cancel | 122 | Anthony Pecoraro | - |
| 3 | Ramify (KY) | Jose Lezcano | 118 | Chad C. Brown | - |
| 4 | Bless the Broken (KY) | Ruben Silvera | 118 | William Walden | - |
| 5 | Carmen's Candy Jar (NY) | Kendrick Carmouche | 118 | Todd A. Pletcher | - |
| 6 | Ruth (KY) | Jose Antonio Gomez | 118 | Todd A. Pletcher | - |
| 7 | My Sherrona (KY) | Romero Ramsay Maragh | 118 | Raymond Handal | - |
| 8 | Bernieandtherose (NY) | Katie Davis | 118 | Domenick L. Schettino | - |
| 9 | Running Away (KY) | Sahin Civaci | 118 | Wesley A. Ward | - |
