Busher Invitational a pivotal race for Radio Days
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Radio Days looks to rebound from her first defeat while attempting to get on the Kentucky Oaks trail when she returns to New York for Saturday’s $250,000 Busher Invitational Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.
It was at Aqueduct last December where Radio Days galloped to an 8 1/2-length first-level allowance win, which validated her debut victory at Belmont sprinting in the slop on Halloween. Radio Days made her 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park, where she finished a late-running second behind loose-on-the-lead Girl With a Dream.
Dylan Davis, who has ridden Radio Days for trainer Shug McGaughey in all three of her starts, felt Radio Days was compromised in that seven-furlong race by a Gulfstream surface that seemed to favor speed.
“I think when she ran that day she was against the track bias,” Davis said. “She likes to break and sit and then make that one move. She broke poorly, and I was in a rush and chase mode in her last race. It was not in her favor. But coming back up here, I’m glad Shug did that because she handled this track already and this track’s going to suit her a lot better.”
McGaughey said he thought the one-turn mile configuration and the timing of the Busher made this race a logical choice for Radio Days, a daughter of Gun Runner owned by Joe Allen.
“I want to get her stretched out a bit,” McGaughey said. “If she runs good there, she’ll have a race over the track and we can run in the Gazelle.”
The Gazelle, on April 9, is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns, the same configuration of the Kentucky Oaks on May 6 at Churchill Downs.
The Busher, which offers its top four finishers qualifying points (50-20-10-5) toward the Kentucky Oaks, drew a field of six. However, Morning Matcha is expected to scratch in favor of the Main Line Stakes on Tuesday at Parx Racing, according to trainer Butch Reid.
Also up from Florida for the Busher is Venti Valentine, who last fall won the Maid of the Mist Stakes for New York-breds at Belmont before finishing second to Nest in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct. Nest came back in her 3-year-old debut to win the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
Trainer Jorge Abreu said Venti Valentine got a brief freshening in Florida following the Demoiselle before returning to the work tab in early January at the Palm Meadows training center.
Venti Valentine figures to be a forward factor in the Busher under Manny Franco.
“She doesn’t need to be on the lead, but if she breaks, she’ll be forwardly placed,” Abreu said. “She puts herself in a good spot all the time.”
Magic Circle finished three-quarters of a length behind Venti Valentine when third in the Demoiselle. She came back to win the Busanda Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race, by 2 3/4 lengths here Jan. 23. She, too, figures to be up front early under Kendrick Carmouche.
Shotgun Hottie, who won the Ruthless going seven furlongs on Feb. 6, and Sterling Silver, who won the Franklin Square Stakes for New York-breds on Jan. 22, complete the field.