Hail can emulate big sister in Busanda

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The start to Hail’s career is strikingly similar to that of her older sister Lockdown.

Lockdown, a daughter of First Defence out of the mare Rising Tornado, lost her debut at Aqueduct in November of her 2-year-old season before coming back to win maiden race by 3 1/2 lengths in her second start one month later. Lockdown, racing on Lasix for the first time, made a successful 3-year-old debut winning the Busanda Stakes on Jan. 15, 2017.

Hail, a daughter of Tapit out of Rising Tornado, lost her debut at Aqueduct in November of her 2-year-old season before coming back to win a maiden race by 3 1/4 lengths in her second start on Dec. 30. Thursday, with Lasix added for the first time, Hail will try win the $100,000 Busanda Stakes for trainer Bill Mott and Juddmonte Farms, the same connections as Lockdown.

The Busanda was originally scheduled for Sunday but had only four entries and was not carded. Trainer Linda Rice put in Midnight Disguise, second in the East View Stakes here on Jan. 14, and trainer Chad Brown supplemented Wealth Effect, and the Busanda was carded for Thursday with six.

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The Busanda offers qualifying points to its top four finishers (10-4-2-1) toward the May 4 Kentucky Oaks. Lockdown finished third in the Oaks last year. In 2016, Close Hatches, a full sister to Lockdown and a half-sister to Hail, finished seventh in the Kentucky Oaks after winning her first three starts, the third being a stakes at Aqueduct.

Mott said that he did not intentionally plot out Hail’s path based on what Lockdown did.

“It was just the way it worked out,” Mott said Sunday by phone from Florida. “It’s when they got ready and when they broke their maiden. She’s there and this is a chance to get a little black type.”

In the case of Hail, Mott believes the 1 1/8 miles of the Busanda, “should be in her favor.”

KEY CONTENDERS

Hail, by Tapit
Beyers: 68-69

◗ Hail, in the snow, ran away from Go in the final eighth of a mile of her maiden win and gives indication she would relish more distance.

“She seemed to be going well at the end,” Mott said.

Take Charge Tina, by Take Charge Indy
Last 3 Beyers: 60-46-57

◗ Trainer Tom Albertrani said Take Charge Tina reacted adversely to dirt being kicked in her face when beaten 23 1/2 lengths in a maiden race in November. She was sent to the front from an outside draw by Kendrick Carmouche in winning a two-turn maiden race at Parx last month.

“Kendrick said he was just cruising around there, felt like he had a lot of horse,” Albertrani said. “Hoping she runs the same kind of race.”

Wealth Effect, by Curlin
Last 3 Beyers: 65-67-64

◗ Finished second as the favorite in her dirt debut while finishing more than seven lengths clear of third-place Incleveland – also entered in this race – in a Dec. 29 allowance race here.

◗ Won going 1 1/16 miles on turf, so distance is unlikely a concern for this filly.