Two speedy contenders

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Marc's Rainbow, an easy winner of the East View Stakes on Dec. 8 over the inner track, returns in Sunday's $75,000-added Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct.

On paper, Marc's Rainbow and Cyber Secret appear to be the horses to beat among eight 3-year-old fillies entered in the mile-and-70-yard Busanda.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Marc's Rainbow defeated odds-on favorite Beautiful America, the likely New York-bred juvenile filly champion, by 2 3/4 lengths in the East View.

The restricted East View was Marc's Rainbow's first stakes win and followed a second-place finish in the open Miss Grillo Stakes in October. From five starts, Marc's Rainbow, a daughter of Summer Squall, has a record of 3-1-0 for her breeder and owner, Albert Fried Jr.

Pletcher's assistant, Seth Benzel, said the Busanda was the target after the East View.

"Coming off her last effort, she deserves to make the transition to this race," Benzel said. "Everything has gone her way in the mornings with her training. She's doing good."

Richard Migliore, a winner of three stakes at the inner track meet, rides Marc's Rainbow, who drew post 6 and has early speed.

Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. has had a difficult time finding a dry track for Cyber Secret, who hasn't run since Nov. 9 when she was a three-length winner of a first-level allowance race. Twice since that race, Cyber Secret has been scratched because of wet surfaces. She likely will get a dry track on Sunday.

Cyber Secret makes her two-turn debut in the Busanda and Dutrow hopes the filly's early speed will aid her on the inner track, which can be kind to sprinters stretching out. Jean-Luc Samyn rides Cyber Secret, who drew the rail.

It took Formal Dancer more starts than Marc's Rainbow and Cyber Secret to win a maiden race, but once Formal Dancer found the winner's circle, she couldn't stay away. Stretching out to two turns on dirt, Formal Dancer won a 1 1/8-mile maiden race on Aqueduct's main track by 4 1/4 lengths on Nov. 15. She returned for a 6 1/4-length win in a first-level allowance around two turns on the inner track on Dec. 12.

"This will be a good test," Formal Dancer's trainer, David Donk, said.

If the track is wet, Show Bug holds an advantage. Owner Roddy Valente claimed the Holy Bull filly, trained by Bruce Levine, for $50,000 in November at Churchill Downs. Since the claim, Show Bug has won twice over wet tracks for her new connections.

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