Shippers intrigue in Busher Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In the last five years, the Southern California-based trainer Peter Miller has enjoyed success shipping cross-country to New York, winning four stakes from 14 runners, including the Grade 2 True North last year with eventual sprint champion Roy H.

Miller hopes to make his 2018 New York debut a winning one when he sends out War Heroine in an interesting renewal of the $200,000 Busher Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct.

War Heroine is one of five shippers among the eight runners entered in the Busher, which offers 85 qualifying points (50-20-10-5) to its top four finishers toward the May 4 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

War Heroine is 2 for 3 with a maiden win on dirt last November at Del Mar and a game victory in the Sweet Life, a 6 1/2-furlong turf stakes at Santa Anita, last month. In between, she finished sixth in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez on dirt at Santa Anita. War Heroine was one of the survivors of the devastating fire at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in December, and Miller said the filly perhaps was still dealing with the effects of that day when she ran in the Santa Ynez.

“She lost a couple of weeks of training,” Miller said Thursday by phone from Southern California. “She could have had some residual smoke inhalation, I don’t know. She didn’t run like she had the first or the third time.”

Miller said the timing and the one-turn mile configuration of the Busher made it appealing for him and owner Gary Barber to ship War Heroine cross-country. War Heroine will likely be a pace factor from post 2 under Junior Alvarado.

Other shippers include My Miss Lilly from Gulfstream; Shamrock Rose, who raced last year at Woodbine; Youvegottopaytopla from Mahoning Valley; and Blue Union Rags from Maryland.

The local contingent is led by Midnight Disguise, who won the Busanda going 1 1/8 miles around two turns here on Jan. 25. Sara Street and Gypsy Janie complete the field.

KEY CONTENDERS

War Heroine, by Lonhro
Last 3 Beyers: 83-68-78

◗ A winner on turf and dirt, she may have to deal with a wet racetrack for the first time on Saturday.

“My gut feeling says her pedigree, and her body type and feet, I think she’ll like it,” said Miller, whose filly arrived at Aqueduct on Thursday. “But I might be wrong.”

My Miss Lilly, by Tapit
Beyers: 69-67

◗ A sharp winner in the slop over Aqueduct’s main track on Dec. 23, she finished third in the Grade 3 Forward Gal at Gulfstream in her subsequent start.

“She was a little farther back on a day when horses didn’t seem to be coming from that far back,” trainer Mark Hennig said from Florida. “I thought going from a maiden race to a graded stakes she gave a good showing for herself and has a shot to definitely move forward from there.”

Midnight Disguise, by Midnight Lute
Last 3 Beyers: 76-64-60

◗ Trainer Linda Rice believes the filly is probably better around two turns, as she showed wining the Busanda Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths on Jan. 25. But, Rice said, she didn’t want to wait until the Gazelle on April 7 to run her back.