Fuzzy Britches gets two days' rest before running in Busanda

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Fuzzy Britches began the week with a victory in a starter allowance Wednesday at Aqueduct. Her connections hope she ends the week here with a victory in the $65,000 Busanda Stakes.

Even before she rallied to win Wednesday's race by 2 3/4 lengths, Fuzzy Britches had been entered in Saturday's Busanda for 3-year-old fillies at a mile and 70 yards. Though Fuzzy Britches had to work harder than your normal 1-4 shot should to get Wednesday's victory, trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said he plans to run her back.

"I wasn't blown away,'' Dutrow, who watched the race on television from Florida, said of Fuzzy Britches's performance. "I'm glad it ended up that way. It looked like she was better than those other horses. Again, she didn't switch leads. That don't mean she won't switch leads on Saturday.''

Wednesday's race was a starter allowance for 3-year-old fillies who had started for a claiming price of $60,000 or less. Fuzzy Britches won a $45,000 maiden claiming race at Monmouth Park on Aug. 13. Since then she has finished second in the Sorority at Monmouth, last of three in the off-the-turf Miss Grillo at Belmont, and third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle over Aqueduct's main track.

Dutrow said Fuzzy Britches had trained well over the inner track leading up to Wednesday's race, but he was still curious to see if she would handle it in the afternoon.

"When I run horses first time on the inner track I never know what to expect,'' Dutrow said. "I was hoping she'd like it, but just because she trained on it and trained well on it, I can't have a high confidence level until they do it in the afternoon.''

Ramon Dominguez, who rode Fuzzy Britches on Wednesday, will be at Gulfstream on Saturday. Fernando Jara will ride Fuzzy Britches from post 4.

The competition includes maiden winners Anchorage, Age of Humor, Summer Humor, and Judge Sonya, who is 2 for 3 for trainer Ben Perkins Jr.