Overprepared gets perfect trip to win first stakes in Busanda

Making good use of her inside post, Overprepared grabbed the early lead along the rail and fought off several challenges to take the 42nd running of Friday’s $100,000 Busanda Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Overprepared, who was not in the original field of six when the race originally was scheduled for last Saturday, was making her first start in two months for Repole Stable and Todd Pletcher after beginning her career with two six-furlong sprints in the fall.

Overprepared ($4.20) broke alertly beneath Irad Ortiz Jr., while Been Here Before and Bonnet Plume, the Godolphin Racing entry and 5-2 second choice, both broke at the back of the nine-horse field.

Rated along through manageable fractions of 24.81 seconds, 50.24, and 1:15.21 while pressed constantly by her uncoupled stablemate, Hopefaithjoy, as well as Been Here Before, Overprepared spurted away into the lane and held sway over a late-rallying Liberty Island to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

“I had a perfect trip,” said Ortiz, the leading rider in New York in 2014. “My filly broke good and settled for me, and when I asked her, I had a lot of horse. She was a little green in the stretch, but she’s a very good filly.”

Liberty Island altered course off the rail a furlong out and finished clearly second best over Diannestillworks. The latter had some early traffic troubles and edged the 87-1 shot Sweet On Smokey for third.

Overprepared, a daughter of Quality Road and a half-sister to the 2005 Personal Ensign winner Shadow Cast, ran a mile and 70 yards in 1:44.69 on a fast inner track and earned $60,000.

“She broke well and took the lead, where she seemed comfortable with her ears perked,” said assistant trainer Byron Hughes. “She shot away from the field in the stretch and looked great doing it – no complaints.”