Always Shopping closes late to win Busanda

Despite being the only maiden in the nine-horse field, the bettors made Always Shopping the 2-1 favorite in Sunday’s $100,000 Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct.

Her backers and her connections were rewarded for their faith in the filly as Always Shopping, benefitting from a ground-saving trip under Manny Franco, ran by 2-1 second choice Filly Joel inside the final furlong to win the Busanda by 1 1/4 lengths.

Filly Joel, who defeated Always Shopping by 6 1/4 lengths in a maiden race at Belmont last October, settled for second, 5 1/2 lengths in front of Afleet Destiny. It was four lengths back to Miss Marilyn in fourth. She was followed, in order, by Discreet Sister, Lady Banba, Getting Warmer, Floss Dancer, and Destiny Over Fate. Elegant Zip and No Mo Lady were scratched.

Always Shopping gave trainer Todd Pletcher his fifth victory in the Busanda, all since 2011. Always Shopping is owned and bred by Mike Repole, who, along with Pletcher, won this race in 2015 with Overprepared.

Always Shopping, by Awesome Again, is out of the Repole-raced stakes-winning mare Stopshoppingmaria and is a half-sister to the two-turn stakes winner Mo Shopping.

Repole said he and Pletcher opted to run in this race in large part because they felt Always Shopping would prefer the 1 1/8-miles distance. Also, she was beaten only three-quarters of a length after stumbling at the start of a one-mile maiden race Dec. 14.

“We liked the distance probably more than the spot,” Repole said. “We thought it would be an evenly matched race. We decided to treat it like she won this the last race.”

On a day when the inside of Aqueduct’s main track was very kind, Manny Franco took advantage of his rail post position. Franco had Always Shopping in the two path down the backside as she was in fifth position, about only three lengths off the moderate pace set by Filly Joel and Jose Lezcano.

Entering the far turn, Franco guided Always Shopping to the rail for the run around the bend as she gradually moved closer to the leader.
Always Shopping was second by the quarter pole, at which point Franco moved her into the two path and she collared Filly Joel by the eighth pole.

Always Shopping covered the 1 1/8 miles in a modest 1:52.24 over a fast track and returned $6.30 as the favorite.

“The trip worked out great,” said Franco, who won his meet-leading 51st race of the winter. “I just wanted to make sure she came out of there well and get my position before the turn and that’s what she did. After that, she did it nice.”

The win earned Always Shopping 10 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks on May 3 at Churchill Downs.