The Busher (KYO)- $200.000 Purse
AQU- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile on the Dirt
February 28, 2026
Saturday’s running of The Busher at AQU will be the second fifty-point prep race for the KYO, something that attracts eleven fillies to starting gate. This is the 15th time that the race has been run, and the ninth time that the race has been run at a mile. At inception, the purse for the race was just $75.000, and it would ultimately peak for four years at $250.000. The present $200.000 at stake has been in place since 2023. Last year, Bears Stable won the Busher with Rain Rattle, a filly that followed up the win by grabbing another in the SA Oaks before running fifth in the KYO. She was moved to the turf in July, and has been there ever since, also taking part in the BC Fillies and Mares Turf. Here’s a look at those hoping to become the next Busher winner:
1- Lucky Delite (The Sidley Stud, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Her only two wins out of her nine starts came early in her career at FP, but she has been able to evolve into a much more talented filly. Since Halloween, Lucky Delite has hit the board in four out of five ungraded stakes and was fourth in the other one. This includes the $100.000 Las Virgenes Stakes out at SA at the start of the month. Also ran well in the Untapable and the Silverbulletday, piecing together 17 KYO points, but ultimately, she’s going to have to step it up a little more in these bigger point races.
2- Thermal Energy (Mb Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Began her career with Fractious, making two starts with that trainer which included winning on debut. She’d be sold in December to Mb Stables for $125.000 in private sales, and about a month later she would win a turf sprint at GP. Thermal Energy has not run against this level of competition as of yet, but anything out of this barn needs to be considered. Works are in line with her competitors.
3- Defy Expectations (Aer Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- The trainer is looking for his next Credit Crime, and does not presently have any horses on the KYO leaderboard. Defy Expectations will be moving from the turf to the dirt in hopes of being that horse. She’s won once out of seven starts, a maiden race at FE, and has particularly looked good in her last two starts. Ran second in the Grade 3 Durante Stakes at DMR and then was third in the CA Cup Oaks. The question here is whether or not she can convert from turf to dirt, and I do think by her works she looks more like a turf runner, but obviously Aer knows much more than I do.
4- Pineapple Puff (Nakamura Stables, ridden by A A Gallardo)- Prior to her last race, Pineapple Puff always seemed to be in a photo for a race win. Her biggest victory to date came in the $300.000 My Dear, part of the FL Sire Stakes, but with a little more luck at the wire we could also be taking about her winning two other ungraded races as well as the Grade 3 Mazarine BC Stakes. Then, came her last start, where she simply did not show up for the $300.000 Martha Washington. There’s no drop off in her works, so maybe we can safely throw that out. I will be.
5- Trickyster (Williams9, ridden by G Corrales)- Simply put, this is a filly that is looking to prove that she continues to deserve getting these stake opportunities. She has lost by five lengths in each of her last three starts and had two other double digit finishes during her two-year-old season in these races. There was a day, in the $200.000 Rags To Riches, where she was third, but as of right now that’s the outlier in her past performances. Recent mile works are about a second slower than most of her rivals. We shall see, but I’m looking elsewhere.
6- Ureallygottaholdonme (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Pennington)- After breaking her maiden in her second career start right here last month, this filly is making the jump right into stakes competition. There’s very little we can see publicly on this one, as she only has three public works in addition to the two starts, so I apologize to the trainer that there is not really much I can say on her. We’ll have a much clearer picture with her on Saturday.
7- Illusionary State (Nakamura Stables, ridden by I Castillo)- A strong two year old season saw this filly win three times in six starts, while being second in another. In late November, she earned her biggest career win in the $100.000 My Trusty Cat at DED at close to a mile. Fast forward to this year, where she took on the toughest field that she has seen in the $100.000 Las Virgenes Stakes. In that, she found herself closer to the back at the start, which had not been normal for her, and she did come on well to be fourth. I suspect she will be closer to the front this time around, early on.
8- Killer Conquistador (Greyfriars Stable, ridden by Jam Rodriguez)- Strong as a two-year-old as well, but perhaps better earlier in the year as opposed to how she finished it. In September, she won the Grade 1 DMR Debutante, but struggled after that. Beaten by seven in the Alcibiades, and then only beat one of her rivals in the BC Juvenile Fillies. Did win the $225.000 Fern Creek after that, but was sold by Mb Stables for $175.000 to Greyfriars Stable. Did not debut well for the trainer in a winnable $24.000 ATBA Sales Stake Fillies, running seventh.
9- Laika (Waldo, ridden by A Centeno)- A lightly raced filly that will make just her fourth start here in the Busher. She’s won once in her prior races, which came at PRX at five and a half furlongs in November. Began the year by running in the Santa Ynez Stakes, where she started near the back and got closer in terms of distance to the winner, but didn’t pass many. Laika has been working well since then, so I do feel that she can step up and show improvement off of that race.
10- Brandy Creme (The Sidley Stud, ridden by J L Ortiz)- All five of her career starts have come at either BTP or TUP, and she has only one win and $7.280 in earnings to show for it. Ran just two weeks ago at TUP and placed fourth at a mile. Looks like there is going to be some adjustments with adds, but this seems to be a pretty big ask for someone who hasn’t been that productive at smaller tracks. I’ll have to see it, first.
11- Devil Z (La Canada Racehorses, ridden by Ar Bocachica)- One of the race’s stronger contenders will be starting from the outside. Devil Z has won three out of four, and while none are stakes wins, she has been able to win in optional claimers at GP and SA. Went wire to wire the last two times that she has won, so look for her to try and get out in front early, or at least near it, while dealing with this outside post. She’s never had to break from a gate further out than post four in her career, so her start will be critical.
Prediction: 4-11-7-9
— NS
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded