Mistda out to make amends in Busher

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Mistda, who had an excuse when she lost the Nijana Stakes as the favorite on Feb. 11, gets a chance to redeem herself in Saturday's $75,000-added Busher Stakes at Aqueduct.

Exclusively Wild, the four-length winner of the Nijana, also is entered in the 1 1/16-mile Busher for 3-year-old fillies.

face five others, including Taittinger Rose, who was third in the Nijana, and Please Take Me Out, the winner of the Miss Grillo Stakes on the grass last year.

Mistda encountered numerous traffic problems in the Nijana and finished fifth, beaten 7 1/2 lengths by Exclusively Wild.

Trained by the meet's leading trainer, Richard Dutrow Jr., Mistda was a 5 3/4-length winner of a first-level allowance race against New York-breds in her start before the Nijana, on Jan. 14. She also won a maiden race over the inner track in December.

"If she gets a good trip Saturday, she's going to run her race," Dutrow said.

Apprentice Pablo Fragoso, the meet's leading rider, rides Mistda from post 5.

Exclusively Wild was 25-1 in the Nijana, but trainer and co-owner Dominick Schettino, said he wasn't surprised she ran like a favorite in her two-turn debut. In her start before the Nijana, Exclusively Wild had a rough trip in a six-furlong allowance race and finished ninth.

"She was shut right off and almost clipped heels," Schettino said. "I think two turns is much easier on her. The more distance, the better."

Schettino said Javier Castellano, aboard Exclusively Wild in the Nijana, committed himself to ride Showmesomelove before Exclusively Wild was declared a definite for the Busher. Mike Luzzi will ride Exclusively Wild, who figures to stalk the early leaders, from post 4.

Please Take Me Out, who has not run since Nov. 29, is without a victory in four starts on the dirt, but in two of those races, she was in over her head. In her only decent dirt performance, Please Take Me Out finished a well-beaten second to Ashado, the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Fond won the Open Mind Stakes in December after she was allowed to set a moderate pace. Please Take Me Out, also a front-runner, figures to keep the early fractions honest in the Busher.

Taittinger Rose, who gets blinkers on, usually picks up a piece of the purse, but has only won once in seven starts. Maiden sprint winners Classic Example and Showmesomelove stretch out to two turns for the first time.