How to bet the Busher Stakes

A field of six sophomore fillies will travel one mile at Aqueduct on Saturday in the $250,000 Busher S. The Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying affair will offer points to the top four finishers on a 50-20-10-5 structure towards the Apr. 30 Oaks.

Busher Analysis

There will be a contested pace in the Busher with #1 Miss Brazil (2-1) and #5 Mo Desserts (5-2) both being engaged from the early stages. I think the duo will knock heads from the onset and set things up for horses coming from off the early tempo.

My top pick, #2 Laobanonaprayer (5-1), is a two-time stakes winner who comes off a solid runner-up performance on a muddy strip here last time out. The talented Empire State-bred ran her best race to date going seven-eighths on the course two prior when dominating a New York Stallion S. event, and she enters fresh with some solid morning drills in the interim. The Danny Velasquez trainee has shown vast improvement since adding blinkers three back, and she has great value at her morning-line price.

Ruthless S. queen Miss Brazil has romped in both starts on the dirt in her career and is the obvious one to beat for Tony Dutrow. The $170,000 daughter of Palace Malice draws inside to compliment her running style, and she comes in with a bullet half-mile drill to signal her readiness for going a route of ground for the initial time. I think that the bay filly is vulnerable at a short price for the win, but she is a must use nonetheless.

#6 Make Mischief (8-1) is two-for-two since joining the Englehart barn and is a big underlay at her morning-line number. Into Mischief filly is perfect from two starts on the surface, and she also gets a dream outside post in a small field for her third attempt off the layoff. The bay New York-bred will stalk the pace while in the clear throughout with Dylan Davis in the stirrups.

Busher Wagers

• $20 Win: #2 Laobanonaprayer ($20)
• $5 Exacta Key Box: 2 with 1,6 ($20)