Bustin Stones, a lightly-raced New York-bred son of City Zip, scored his first Grade 1 victory and remained undefeated as he held on for a front-running score in Saturday’s 108th running of the $300,000 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct.

Breaking smartly under Edgar Prado, Bustin Stones went straight to the front and set fractions of 22.52, 45.14 and 1:09.53 while under pressure from Executive Fleet. Unable to shake completely free in the stretch, the 4-year-old Bustin Stones battled on to the wire to edge the game Executive Fleet and the closing Premium Wine for the half-length win, his sixth in as many starts.

His winning time for the seven furlongs was 1:22.91.

“He’s a very nice horse,” said winning trainer Bruce Levine. “He’s been in battles before and he is as game as game can be. He runs everywhere and he likes this track.”

The second choice in the field of nine behind Spring At Last, who finished eighth, Bustin Stones returned $7.50 for a $2 win bet and earned $180,000 for owner Roddy J. Valente.

“Here, he beat a quality field, especially with [Grade 1 Donn Handicap winner] Spring At Last in there,” said Levine. “My schedule was to run him here and in the Met Mile [Grade 1, $600,000 Belmont Park, May 26]. I think he can stretch out.”

Last year, Bustin Stones won all three of his starts last year racing against state-breds. He launched his 4-year-old campaign by winning a restricted stakes on the Big A’s inner track in January before facing open company for the first time and emerging with a front-end victory in the Grade 2 General George Handicap at Laurel on February 18.

“My horse ran great, and broke running out of the gate,” said Prado, who won the Grade 1 Wood Memorial with Tale of Ekati and then came back to win the last race on the day’s card. “It’s been a super day! It’s a good way to let everyone know I am back in New York.”

Runner-up Executive Fleet, who was a neck in front of Premium Wine, was making his first start in a graded stakes race.

“He got beat a half-length and I don’t think we had any edge in the weights,” said trainer Linda Rice. “He showed today that he is very game.”

Completing the order of finish were Lord Snowdon, Not for Money, King of the Roxy, Ryan’s for Real, Spring At Last and City Attraction.