The Busanda (KYO)- $125.000 Purse
AQU- For Filles Three Years Old
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
January 18, 2025

Twenty points for the KYO were on the line for the winner of The Busanda at AQU, and a field of eleven fillies had their sights set on picking up them up. After running nine furlongs on the main track, it would be Shes A Looker running her best late after being in the middle of the field for most of the race, to get the win. Her effort, at odds of 19/1, gives trainer Nakamura Stables his second win a row in this race. Jockey S Elliott is also now a two-time winner but will have to go back all the way to 2008 for their previous victory. Congratulations to them! Shes A Looker was not our top choice, but was among our picks, and we were surprised to see her go off at that high of price. The time of the win was 1:49.27, which is among the slower such times but was all that was needed. Let’s take a look at it now:

(½ Mile- :47.62)- Three fillies try to grab the early lead of the race, and prevailing with the advantage after a half mile will be Us Against The World, for Mb Stables. She runs in the third lane for a while before being able to move over a little closer to the rail early in the backstretch. The Sidley Stud’s Ginger Tulip is right there with her on the rail, half a length back. The third horse here was Escapist, for Williams9, but she was not able to keep up with the top two and settles into a stalking position for the backstretch run. It’s close to two lengths to the pairing of Distorted and Lifes Good, who run side by side for Wood Duck Stables and D J C Racing Stables, respectively. Situated right behind them, and by herself is where we have our eventual winner, Shes A Looker, for Nakamura Stables. Behind them, running three wide are Victorian Era (Crocker Ggs), Bridal Bouquet (Alydar Stables), and Wanna Con (Big Guns Stables). Snow Ridge (Robeth) is nearby, and at the back is Chemistry Crackle (Mb Stables).

(3/4 Mile- 1:11.99)- Heading down the backstretch and early into the turn, Us Against The World has been able to pull a clear length ahead of Ginger Tulip. They’ve pulled further ahead of Escapist, who is now falling back into the clutches Distorted and Lifes Good. Shes A Looker maintains her distance to those two but has not yet made a greater push. Not much going on yet behind her.

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Us Against The World continues to run very well our front, and will enter the stretch inching further away from Ginger Tulip. However, that one was no longer her bigger concern, as Lifes Good was making her push while close to the rail and would seem to have room to hold that lane once in the stretch. Distorted was still in the vicinity and could not be written off, and a little further back, Shes A Looker would swing four wide as she began to show her intentions to be a primary player in how this race would finish. Escapist, for now, hadn’t completely bottomed out but wasn’t looking comfortable. Wanna Con and Bridal Bouquet could not be ruled out, and perhaps one of Victorian Era, Snow Ridge, and Chemistry Crackle was about to make a push.

(Finish- 1:49.27)- With a furlong to go, Us Against The World seemed to be in good shape and that if she was going to get caught, it would be by Lifes Good. Shes A Looker did not seem to be coming on quickly enough. It would be in the closing moments of this race where Shes A Looker was at her best, not only catching Us Against The World, but getting closer to Lifes Good. Ultimately, they would decide the race between then, and Shes A Looker would prevail by a neck over Lifes Good, and Us Against The World was close by for third. Bridal Bouquet and Wanna Con did their best running late to be fourth and fifth. Chemistry Crackle takes sixth, ahead of Ginger Tulip, Distorted, Victorian Era, Snow Ridge, and Escapist.

About The Winner- Shes A Looker, trained by Nakamura Stables and ridden to victory by S Elliott, is a three-year-old filly by Hogshead and is out of Shesagunslinger. She was bred by Nakamura Stables as third quarter two-year-old in Kentucky, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her third in four starts, and first stake win. Her career earnings are now $122.400.

Track: Fast
Time: :47³  1:11⁴  1:36⁴  1:49¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 11 – 8 Paid 115.60
$1 Trifecta: 11 – 8 – 6 Paid 1,161.90

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded