Ziaerati steps up off maiden win in Busher

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Ziaerati hopes to prove she’s not just another pretty face when she steps into stakes company for the first time in Saturday’s $200,000 Busher Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct.

With a distinct face that looks bathed in marshmallow creme, Ziaerati enters the Busher off a visually impressive 8 1/4-length debut victory here on Jan. 15. That win, at seven furlongs, came five months after Ziaerati was scratched in the post parade of a maiden race at Saratoga due to what was ultimately diagnosed as a foot issue.

“It took her a while to get back. We gave her time off to let her foot heal up,” trainer Robert Falcone Jr. said. “I mentioned to [owner] John Grossis to give her 60 days and let her grow up; she knows what she’s supposed to do.”

Following her debut victory, Michael Dubb and Adelphi Racing Club bought part-interest in Ziaerati from Falcone, who had been part-owner.

Falcone notes how professional Ziaerati is in the mornings and was impressed with how well she handled shipping to Aqueduct and running so well in her first start.

“She’s just really smart, does everything good and has since the first day she came in,” Falcone said.

Ziaerati won her debut on the lead, but Falcone had Trevor McCarthy work her behind horses and the trainer liked what he saw.

“She took the dirt fine. She didn’t throw her head up, wasn’t rank,” Falcone said. “As soon as he tipped her out, she was gone.”

McCarthy will ride Ziaerati (post 3) for the first time Saturday as Dylan Davis, aboard for the debut win, is riding Shidabhuti, one of two entered for trainer Chad Brown.

Shidabhuti, by Practical Joke, is 2 for 2 including an off-the-pace maiden allowance win going a mile here on Jan. 22. Brown also entered Asset Purchase, who won her debut by eight lengths on Jan. 29 under Manny Franco.

“She had been training very well. It didn’t surprise us,” Brown said of Asset Purchase.

Shidabhuti and Asset Purchase are drawn in posts 5 and 6, respectively.

Capella is in from Turfway Park, where she won a pair of two-turn one-mile races over the synthetic surface. Trainer Brad Cox said Capella ran at Turfway because after a couple of setbacks in the summer and fall, she wound up being based there for the winter.

Capella is a half-sister to four dirt winners, including the Grade 2 winner Bonny South.

“I am optimistic that she’ll handle the dirt,” Cox said. “I started her on the synthetic because [Turfway] was where she was at at the time. I think she has talent.”

Florent Geroux rides Capella from post 2.

Check Engine Light, a maiden after three starts including a nose defeat on Feb. 5, and La Vita Sofia, whose one win from five starts came going a mile in the slop at Aqueduct last October, complete the field.

The Busher, which offers its top five finishers qualifying points (50-20-15-10-5) to the Kentucky Oaks on May 5, goes as race 4 on the 10-race program that begins at 12:50 p.m.