Oxy Lady on familiar ground in Busher

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Oxy Lady looked to have a bright future after she emerged from the fog at the eighth pole and galloped to a five-length victory in the Grade 3 Tempted Stakes at odds of 36-1 at Aqueduct last November.

Since then, however, things have gotten hazy for Oxy Lady. She finished fourth in the Grade 1 Starlet at Santa Anita to end her 2-year-old season. She then finished sixth of eight in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds to begin her 3-year-old campaign.

Her connections are hoping familiarity breeds success when Oxy Lady returns to Aqueduct for Saturday’s $250,000 Busher Invitational Stakes, run, as was the Tempted, at a one-turn mile.

Oxy Lady was one of 12 3-year-old fillies entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Busher, which offers 85 qualifying points to its top four finishers (50-20-10-5) to the May 3 Kentucky Oaks.

Trainer Jack Sisterson blamed himself for Oxy Lady’s disappointing performance in the Rachel Alexandra, where she was beaten 14 3/4 lengths by winner Serengeti Empress. Sisterson said Oxy Lady was training so well that he thought she was more fit than she showed in the race.

“She was doing things easy,” said Sisterson, who spoke with the decision-makers at Calumet Farm to come up with a new game plan after the Rachel Alexandra. “We thought it was hard to make up 15 lengths on Serengeti Empress. [Oxy Lady] won there going the one-turn mile, and she ships well, so that’s when we decided to go up there.”

Another selling point was the ability to get Javier Castellano to ride in the Busher.

Oxy Lady, who shipped to Aqueduct Wednesday from Fair Grounds, drew post 3 in this bulky field.

The Busher drew an intriguing field. Please Flatter Me, unbeaten in three sprints, makes her 3-year-old debut in this spot. Ujjayi, whose only two defeats have come to Please Flatter Me, and who won the Ruthless here last out has already arrived from Penn National.

From the rail out, the field is, Ujjayi, Espresso Shot, Oxy Lady, Enliven, It Justhitthe Wire, Excess Capacity, Filly Joel, Dovey Lovey, Shelley Ann, Please Flatter Me, Always Shopping, and Orra Moor.

Bavaro steps up in Tom Fool

Bavaro proved to be a fruitful claim for trainer Linda Rice, winning the Hollie Hughes Stakes for New York-breds after being taken for $25,000 in his prior start.

Saturday, Bavaro will tackle graded stakes company for the first time when he runs in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap going six furlongs at Aqueduct.

Bavaro – originally owned by Hall of fame football coach Bill Parcells and named for Mark Bavaro, the former all-pro tight end of the New York Giants – has won 9 of 20 starts including his last three.

“I was pleased he showed he could sit off it and didn’t have to have the lead to win,” Rice said. “Obviously, this is an open race and it’s going to be a much tougher spot, but we’re going to give him a try.”

Junior Alvarado will ride Bavaro.

Seven were entered in the Tom Fool including defending race winner Skyler’s Scramjet, Life in Shambles, Do Share, Bon Raison, Fully Vested, and Syndergaard.

Curlin’s Honor back on dirt in Stymie

Curlin’s Honor began his career on dirt before transitioning to synthetic and turf for his last five starts.

Saturday, at Aqueduct, Curlin’s Honor returns to dirt when he makes his 4-year-old debut in the $150,000 Stymie Stakes going a one-turn mile.

Curlin’s Honor was an eye-catcher before he ever started. He sold for $1.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Timonium auction as a 2-year-old. He won his first two starts, both sprints on dirt, before finishing last in the Grade 2 Rebel last March.

Following the Rebel, Curlin’s Honor won a stakes sprinting on synthetic and was beaten a neck in the Paradise Creek over Belmont’s turf course in May.

This will be the first start for Curlin’s Honor since he was beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Ontario Derby at Woodbine last Oct. 13.

“I brought him home and gave him a break,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He trains good enough on the dirt, he’s ready to run, he’s doing well. We’re going to give him another try on the dirt.”

The Stymie field includes Sunny Ridge, last year’s Stymie winner; Vino Rosso, last year’s Wood Memorial winner; as well as the in-form Stan the Man, Hero’s Welcome, and Title Ready. Shivermetimbers, a stablemate of probable Gotham favorite Instagrand, was supplemented to the race.