Nilo's Rose out of Busher with injury

Nilo’s Rose, a probable longshot in Saturday’s $200,000 Busher Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, will have to scratch from that race after being injured during a training incident Tuesday morning at Belmont Park, trainer Robert Falcone Jr. said.

Falcone said as Nilo’s Rose was walking onto the track Tuesday morning, she got spooked by a horse coming off the Belmont training track. Nilo’s Rose reared up then tripped over herself and fell, unseating her rider. Nilo’s Rose ran off the track, slipped on the road, and suffered a significant cut on her shoulder that required at least 25 stitches, Falcone said.

Nilo’s Rose had won 2 of 3 starts, including a starter/optional claimer by 2 1/2 lengths on Jan. 16. She won that race off an 11-week layoff that included her having to scratch from a race due to illness.

“This was the first time she was really training with no hiccups going into a race,” Falcone said. “I was expecting to see her best race so far.”

The scratch of Nilo’s Rose reduces the Busher field to eight, headed by Liam in the Dust and Sharp Smile.

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