Hail tops Busanda on Thursday at the Big A

by Heather Pettinger

Juddmonte Farm’s homebred Hail will headline a field of six 3-year-old fillies looking to enhance their resumes on Thursday at Aqueduct Racetrack in the 45th running of the $100,000 Busanda at 1 1/8 miles, carded as Race 3.

As an official points-bearing prep for the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs, the Busanda winner will receive 10 points toward a berth in the Oaks, with four points going to second, two to third and one to fourth.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Hail will step up against stakes company following an impressive 3 ¾-length maiden special weight victory at a mile on December 30, her second career start. A chestnut daughter of leading sire Tapit, Hail will race with first-time Lasix and be ridden again by Dylan Davis. The pair will break from post position 5.

Hail will face a challenge from Klaravich Stable’s Wealth Effect, a supplemental entrant from the barn of Chad Brown. By Curlin, Wealth Effect broke her maiden at second asking and closed out her juvenile campaign with a pair of on-the-board efforts against optional claiming company, finishing a respective third and second in her two starts at the Big A. Wealth Effect will have the services of Junior Alvarado from post 3.

DJ Stable’s Oldfashioned Style boasts the most stakes experience of the field as she prepares to make her fourth straight stakes start for trainer Gary Contessa, which includes a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Tempted on November 3. Chris DeCarlo will ride from post 2.

Incleveland will meet Wealth Effect for the second time having finished in third, more than seven lengths behind runner-up Wealth Effect and winner Wall of Compassion in a one-mile optional claimer on December 29 at Aqueduct. Trained by four-time Busanda winner Todd Pletcher, the Midnight Lute filly will be ridden by Manny Franco from the outside post 6.

James Preziosi and Debbie Crisp’s Take Charge Tina graduates to the stakes level following a maiden-breaking 7 ¾-length score for the Tom Albertrani barn on December 18 at Parx Racing. The daughter of Take Charge Indy will break from post 4 with Kendrick Carmouche aboard.

Midnight Disguise, owned and bred by William B. Wilmot and Joan M. Taylor, is entered to make a quick turnaround in the Busanda, following a second-place finish to English Soul in the East View on January 14. Trevor McCarthy has the call from the inside post.