Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will look to secure his third win in the $250,000 Busher Invitational on Saturday when he sends out graded stakes-placed Magic Circle in the one-mile test for sophomores fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Busher, a prep race for the Kentucky Oaks on May 6 at Churchill Downs, offers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top-four finishers.
J.W. Singer's Magic Circle enters from a 2 3/4-length win in the nine-furlong Busanda on Jan. 23 at the Big A, a performance that garnered an 80 Beyer Speed Figure and awarded the Kantharos filly 10 points. She is currently 10th on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.
The Busanda was the first stakes win for the chestnut filly, who broke her maiden at first asking in September at Saratoga Race Course before finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park in her stakes debut.
She finished a close second in the Tempted going a one-turn mile at Belmont, besting Nest for place honors one start before finishing third in the nine-furlong G2 Demoiselle behind Nest and returning rival Venti Valentine.
Sent off as the even-money favorite in the Busanda, Magic Circle led the field of six through easy fractions, racing a length in front of Rosebug through the first three-quarters before widening her margin to five lengths at the top of the stretch. Roused by Jose Ortiz for more, Magic Circle held off a late bid from returning rival Morning Matcha to secure the win in a final time of 1:51.29.
Magic Circle worked a half-mile in 50 seconds flat over Belmont Park's dirt training track on Monday.
“So far, so good. She looks like she's doing everything we are asking and improving in every race – not much, but improving, and that's what we hope for,” said Rodriguez.
Magic Circle has set the pace in her last two efforts and may face pressure early from Venti Valentine and Sterling Silver, the latter making her first start at one mile.
Rodriguez said Magic Circle should appreciate the one-turn mile.
“She'll be OK. She's a very versatile filly and has won at seven-eighths, too,” Rodriguez said. “We ran a good race at Belmont at a mile and ran a little green going a mile and an eighth but then she won [the Busanda]. We just hope that it will work for her.”
Kendrick Carmouche will ride from post 5.
Graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine returns from a short break after finishing a close second in the Demoiselle on Dec. 4. Trained by Jorge Abreu, the New York-bred Firing Line filly is a half-sister to 2019 Busher winner Espresso Shot, both out of the winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Glory Gold.
Campaigned by NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds, Venti Valentine was a debut winner sprinting six furlongs in September before stretching out to a one-turn mile to take the restricted Maid of the Mist by 3 3/4 lengths.
The chestnut filly rated from off the pace in the Demoiselle, putting in a strong late bid down the stretch under Hall of Famer John Velazquez to come up just shy of the win, finishing a neck behind Nest.
“Since she was on the farm, that's been the consensus that she could be even more talented than Espresso Shot,” said Vince Roth, co-founder of NY Final Furlong Racing Stable. “The team has all had the opinion that if she could put it together, she'd be special. So far, she has. [She] is really going to appreciate two turns. We're in a good spot with her going forward.”
Venti Valentine will emerge from post 4 with Manny Franco aboard.
Stakes winner Sterling Silver will try to retain a perfect record as she makes her second stakes start for trainer Tom Albertrani and owner Mark T. Anderson. A daughter of Cupid, Sterling Silver was the definitive winner of her stakes debut last time out in the 6 1/2-furlong Franklin Square on Jan. 22.
The grey filly was a debut winner sprinting six furlongs at the Big A in November, closing from the middle of the 12-horse field to best Can't Hurry Love by a nose at the wire under Trevor McCarthy. With a similar running style in her next outing, Sterling Silver was held by McCarthy in fifth through the first quarter before coming away with the lead in mid-stretch to win the Franklin Square by 2 1/4 lengths.
Albertrani said he is confident that Sterling Silver can handle the stretch-out to a mile and be more forwardly placed.
“Last time, she was getting a little keen. Trevor actually had to try and rate her a little and not let her go too soon,” said Albertrani. “Going a little bit longer, I would expect her to be a little closer to the pace stretching out. She'll be ratable, but we'll let her tell us where she wants to be when they leave [the gate].”
Sterling Silver will face three other stakes winners in the Busher, a challenge Albertrani said he and his filly are ready for.
“It's going to be very competitive, but we'll certainly go in and give it our best shot. She's been training well and I think she's going to shape up pretty well with the competition,” said Albertrani. “We'll just take it from there.”
McCarthy will ride again from post 2.
Radio Days, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, ships in from Gulfstream Park off a runner-up effort in the seven-furlong G3 Forward Gal on Feb. 5, defeated a length by Girl With a Dream in her stakes debut.
Campaigned by Allen Stable, the Gun Runner filly graduated at first asking in a maiden special weight sprint over the sloppy and sealed main track at Belmont Park in October. She skipped away to a strong victory in her first start against winners at the Big A on Dec. 2, widening her margins to come home an 8 1/2-length winner of the seven-furlong optional claimer.
Regular rider Dylan Davis will pilot Radio Days from post 6.
Completing the field are Ruthless winner Shotgun Hottie [post 1, Eric Cancel] and Morning Matcha [post 3, Frankie Pennington], who enters off her runner-up effort to Magic Circle in the Busanda.
The Busher is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race card which also features the G3 Tom Fool Handicap in Race 3 and the G3 Gotham in Race 10, which awards 50-20-10-5 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby to the top-four finishers. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.
America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
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