Water White by a nose in Busher Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez prefers to run Water White a distance of ground because he feels she’s a grinder, the type of horse that just keeps coming.

Though Rodriguez shortened Water White up to a mile in Saturday’s $250,000 Busher Invitational Stakes, Water White displayed that grinding style as she used the length of the Aqueduct stretch to run down Kansas Kis to win the Busher by a nose. It was 5 1/4 lengths back to Panthera Onca in third as longshots filled the top three placings.

Meanwhile, Lake Avenue, the 4-5 favorite, faded to fourth, beaten nine lengths. Mo City, Maedean, and Persisto completed the order of finish.

The win, just her second from six starts, earned Water White 50 qualifying points to the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile race on May 1 at Churchill Downs. Rodriguez said he wasn’t sure the filly was even nominated to the Oaks, but owner Esteban Vargas San Juro did nominate Water White to that race.

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Water White was beaten 6 1/2 lengths by Lake Avenue in last year’s Grade 2 Demoiselle and 7 1/2 lengths by Harvey’s Lil Goil in last month’s Busanda Stakes, both at 1 1/8 miles. But Rodriguez liked the way Water White was training leading up to this race, which us why he elected to shorten her up to the mile.

“We thought maybe we could get lucky to win a good a race, maybe get some confidence for her, and it worked out,” Rodriguez said.

Water White, under Jorge Vargas Jr., was sixth of seven early, but no more than four lengths behind Lake Avenue, who, after breaking a step slow, opened up a one-length lead under Junior Alvarado while running a half-mile in 46.81 seconds.

Around the far turn, Kansas Kis, under Eric Cancel, made a run at Lake Avenue and confronted her at the five-sixteenths pole. Water White followed that move.

After shaking off Lake Avenue at the three-sixteenths pole, Kansas Kis opened up a 3 1/2-length lead at the eighth pole. But Water White kept grinding it out, and with Kansas Kis drifting late, Water White nailed her at the wire.

Water White, a daughter of Conveyance, covered the mile in 1:40.21, and returned $37.20 as the 17-1 fifth choice.

“She’s just a grinder,” Rodriguez said. “In her other races, she kept coming, slowly coming. We just got to get some good pace in front of her.”

Ray Handal, the trainer of Kansas Kis, said his filly might have idled a bit “being in front for so long.”

The top two finishers are likely to meet again in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gazelle at 1 1/8 miles here on April 4.

Though Bill Mott, the trainer of Lake Avenue, said the early pace was fast for the deep Aqueduct track, he was surprised his filly didn’t put up resistance when confronted by Kansas Kis.

“I was surprised she shut down as soon as she did when that horse challenged her,” Mott said. “I thought she’d take them inside the eighth pole. We’ll just have to see how she is.”