Midnight Disguise lumbers to victory in Busanda Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - To hear jockey Trevor McCarthy tell it, Midnight Disguise still has a few things to learn before becoming a polished race horse. She does possess one vital piece of knowledge already, and that's how to win.

A big, lanky New York-bred daughter of Midnight Lute, Midnight Disguise won for the third time in four starts - all in the last six weeks - as she lumbered by pace-setting Oldfashioned Style just above the sixteenth pole and bounded clear to a 4 1/4-length victory in Thursday’s $100,000 Busanda Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

Oldfashioned Style finished second, 3 3/4 lengths in front of the even-money favorite Hail. Wealth Effect, Incleveland and Take Charge Tina completed the order of finish.

Midnight Disguise won her first two starts - a maiden $50,000 claiming race Dec. 15 and a starter allowance Dec. 11. She finished second in the East View Stakes, a one-turn mile race, on Jan. 14 and wasn’t entered for the Busanda when it was originally scheduled for last Sunday.

But with a few more days to think about it, trainer Linda Rice opted to enter Midnight Disguise in the Busanda, in large part to see how she would handle the 1 1/8 mile distance.

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Forced to steady back to last entering the first turn, Midnight Disguise raced fifth of six down the backside. Entering the far turn, she made a strong middle move into second by the five-sixteenths pole. It took a little while for Midnight Disguise to get her big, lumbering stride going in the stretch, but once she did Midnight Disguise gradually got to and past Oldfashioned Style.

“Last time she seemed real green, today she was still green as well, she’s still learning, she’s a big baby,” McCarthy said. “She’s huge, though, covers a lot of ground. She’s got a lot to learn, but definitely she’s going to progress each race.”

There were no posted fractions for the Busanda. The final time will be recorded as 1:55.77 for 1 1/8 miles over a fast track. Midnight Disguise, owned and bred by William Wilmot and Joan Taylor, returned $7.30 as the second choice.

“We were delighted with the way she went on around the mile-and-an-eighth around two turns,” Rice said. “It really opens up a lot of doors for us.”

The Busanda awarded its top four finishers qualifying points toward the $1 million Kentucky Oaks on May 4.

Rice said she’s not thinking that far ahead.

“We’ve been trying to find what makes the most sense - the best opportunity for her - and let her learn and improve and not try to set the bar too high for her,” Rice said.

Dylan Davis, who rode even-money favorite Hail, said his filly had no excuse in the Busanda after sitting a ground-saving fourth down the backside.

“She handled everything well,” Davis said. “She put a good effort in, just couldn’t get the job done.”