Busher Stakes 2024 | Aqueduct Replay [Kentucky Oaks]

The Jorge Abreu-trained Jody’s Pride won the 2024 Busher Stakes at Aqueduct, a prep race for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

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Watch the race replay here:

The press release:

Jody’s Pride, last seen finishing a close second to Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Just F Y I in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, made her seasonal debut a winning one with a game score in Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Busher, a one-turn mile for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Jorge Abreu for owners Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable, the American Pharoah dark bay secured the maximum allotment of the 50-25-15-10-5 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on offer to the top-five finishers.

Jody’s Pride picked up 15 Oaks qualifying points when she finished just a neck back of Just F Y I in the Juvenile Fillies in November at Santa Anita Park and the two were initially slated to square off today at Gulfstream Park in the Grade 2 Davona Dale before the team called an audible and shipped to New York last week. Just F Y I scratched out of the Davona Dale earlier this afternoon after spiking a temperature as longshot Fiona’s Magic upset that event.

“We gave her 30 days [after the Breeders’ Cup] and then we brought her back to Palm Meadows and she was doing everything great,” Abreu said. “She was working pretty good and we had her pointed for the Davona Dale, and at the last minute, Mr. Weston decided to run her over here. So I said, ‘OK, let’s go.’”

Abreu and Steve Weston’s Parkland Thoroughbreds teamed up to win this event in 2019 with Espresso Shot and her half-sister Venti Valentine in 2022. The latter went on to finish second in the Gazelle here and 14th in the Kentucky Oaks.

“We made it [to the Kentucky Oaks] once before with Venti Valentine and we actually won this race for the third time today,” Weston said. “I’m not saying we have the best horse for the Oaks of the 14, but at least we have a chance.” 

Carmelina broke alertly from the outside post under Mychel Sanchez and set the tempo through splits of 23.62 seconds and 46.81 over the sloppy and sealed main track with Jody’s Pride tracking in second to the outside of Princess Mayfair and Regulatory Risk.

Jody’s Pride ranged into contention in second position into the turn and loomed large as Carmelina clung to a narrow lead. Gin Gin, who was sixth in the early running, was hard ridden through the turn by Trevor McCarthy to make up ground into third position as Carmelina prepared to deal with Jody’s Pride. Lezcano shook the reins at Jody’s Pride at the top of the lane and the filly responded to his right-handed encouragement to take command inside the three-sixteenths en route to a 2 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:38.49.

Carmelina completed the exacta by 2 1/2-lengths over last-out Busanda winner Gin Gin with the previously undefeated Aoife’s Magic in fourth. Regulatory Risk, Sicilian Princess and Princess Mayfair rounded out the order of finish.

“She is a very nice filly,” Lezcano said. “When I asked her at the quarter pole, she took off like she was breaking out of the gate. She galloped out and did everything right.”

Weston credited Lezcano with an astute ride from post 6-of-7, a vantage point that was ideal to assess the early pace threat of Carmelina and gate-to-wire maiden winner Regulatory Risk for trainer Chad Brown.

“There was a lot of speed in the race, we thought Chad’s horse had a lot of speed and the seven [Carmelina] as well,” Weston said. “We knew there was a lot of speed so we wanted to sit off somewhat, but we didn’t know who it was going to be. As Jorge said, she probably would like to go longer. Being off since November, it was a great trip.”

Sanchez said the Butch Reid, Jr.-trained Carmelina, a three-time stakes winner, performed admirably through solid fractions after exiting the outermost post.

“I think the post position helped us. It was good to get by and get to the inside,” Sanchez said. “We put up a good pace even though she made it look easy, we were definitely running all the way around. It was her first time going long in the dirt, I think she ran huge and definitely think she will get better in her next start, hopefully on the Oaks trail.”

Jody’s Pride kicked off her career with a pair of off-the-turf scores, taking a 5 1/2-furlong sprint by 10 1/2-lengths in her August debut at Saratoga Race Course ahead of a 3 1/4-length score in the six-furlong Matron at Belmont at the Big A ahead of her Breeders’ Cup effort.

Abreu said he will see how his filly exits this event before considering the nine-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle, a 100-50-25-15-10 qualifier for the Kentucky Oaks, on April 6 here.

“I’m going to see how she comes out of it and probably [come back] here in the Gazelle, and then the Kentucky Oaks,” Abreu said. “She ran two turns already and my concern was if she was going to perform as well as she did as a 2-year-old. She did, and I think she wants to go longer than that even.”

Jody’s Pride is out of the undefeated Parkland Thoroughbreds’ campaigned Scat Daddy mare Jody’s Song – a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Make Mischief. Bred in Kentucky by Steve Weston, Jody’s Pride banked $110,000 in victory while improving her record to 4-3-1-0. Sent to post as the 4-5 mutuel favorite, she returned $3.90 for a $2 win bet.

Busher Quotes:

Jorge Abreu, winning trainer of Jody’s Pride (No. 6, $3.90*): “I was a little concerned about the track being wet because she had never been on it, but that was the only concern I had. She had never even galloped on a wet track before. It was a pretty solid field, too.

“I think we had a great post. I was concerned about getting the one or two hole here, but when I saw the six-hole, I said, ‘Great.’”

“We gave her 30 days [after the Breeders’ Cup] and then we brought her back to Palm Meadows and she was doing everything great. She was working pretty good and we had her pointed for the Davonna Dale, and at the last minute, [co-owner] Mr. Weston decided to run her over here. So I said, ‘OK, let’s go.’”

On a potential next start in the nine-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle, a 100-50-25-15-10 qualifier for the Kentucky Oaks, on April 6 here: “I’m going to see how she comes out of it and probably [come back] here in the Gazelle, and then the Kentucky Oaks. She ran two turns already and my concern was if she was going to perform as well as she did as a 2-year-old. She did, and I think she wants to go longer than that even.

Steve Weston of Parkland Thoroughbreds, winning co-owner and breeder of Jody’s Pride (No. 6): “He [Lezcano] gave her a great ride. We were hoping to draw the outside and we did. There was a lot of speed in the race, we thought Chad’s horse [Brown, trainer of No. 1, Regulatory Risk] had a lot of speed and the seven [No. 7, Carmelina] as well. We knew there was a lot of speed so we wanted to sit off somewhat, but we didn’t know who it was going to be. As Jorge said, she probably would like to go longer. Being off since November, it was a great trip.

“We made it [to the Kentucky Oaks] once before with Venti Valentine and we actually won this race for the third time today, we won it twice with Final Furlong, with Venti Valentine and Espesso Shot. I’m not saying we have the best horse for the Oaks of the 14, but at least we have a chance.” 

Jose Lezcano, winning jockey aboard Jody’s Pride (No. 6): “Well she broke very good, I sat second the whole way around and when I asked her, she gave me a very good race. I’m happy with this performance today.

“She is a very nice filly. When I asked her at the quarter pole, she took off like she was breaking out of the gate. She galloped out and did everything right.” 

Butch Reid, Jr., trainer of runner-up Carmelina (No. 7): “Valiant effort from my filly. First time off of a bit of a break and I thought she ran great. She didn’t give up, she is certainly a tough little filly.

“We will get her back and re-evaluate, but she certainly didn’t do anything to change my mind [about the Oaks trail].

Mychel Sanchez, jockey of runner-up Carmelina (No. 7): “Good trip. I think the post position helped us. It was good to get by and get to the inside. We put up a good pace even though she made it look easy, we were definitely running all the way around. It was her first time going long in the dirt, I think she ran huge and definitely think she will get better in her next start, hopefully on the Oaks trail.”