Truth Hurts Gets First Crack at Two Turns in Busanda

Ever since Chad Summers first spotted Ontario-bred Truth Hurts at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, he has been eagerly awaiting a chance to run her at two turns in a New York stakes race.

"This is a race we had circled since we purchased her as a yearling," said Summers, the filly's co-owner and trainer. "Her pedigree indicated she would be a two-turn route filly because she's by Tonalist . We were looking forward to her 3-year-old year and not in a rush to get to the races early in her 2-year-old year."

The waiting will come to an end Feb. 2 when the undefeated filly will face six rivals in the $100,000 Busanda Stakes, a two-turn, 1 1/8-mile race at Aqueduct Racetrack for 3-year-old fillies that will have a say in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopes for Truth Hurts and everyone else in the field.

"I think the mile and an eighth is interesting at this time of year. It's the same distance as the Kentucky Oaks, so you are able to learn a lot. It lets you know where you are with three months to go before the Kentucky Oaks. It's a great opportunity to judge your horse," Summers said. "How does she get to the Oaks? Does she have to win the Busanda? No, she just has to move forward."

A total of 17 qualifying points for the Oaks will be on the line Sunday, awarded to the top four finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale.

Bought by Jorge Wagner for $35,000 at Keeneland from the Eaton Sales consignment, Truth Hurts made her belated 2-year-old debut Dec. 8 and won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race at Aqueduct by half a length.

She returned for J Stables and Summers Jan. 5 in an allowance optional claimer at a flat mile and won by two lengths, with stakes-placed fillies finishing second and third. Summers said Truth Hurts did not have to win the allowance test to move on to the Busanda, but he was pleased with the progress she showed at a longer distance—especially with her sire being a $3.6 million earner with three grade 1 wins at 1 1/4 miles or more, topped by the 2014 Belmont Stakes (G1).

"Her last race was really good because she broke forward and listened to the rider. (Jockey Luis A. Rodriguez Castro) has been aboard her in the mornings, and he got her to settle. It was a teaching race," Summers said. "She sat off just off the pace and waited and waited, and when he pushed the button, she responded."

Though the daughter of the Distorted Humor  mare Witty Gal bred by William Graham is one of only two starters with two or more wins, Summers expects her to receive a revealing challenge Sunday from rivals such as maiden winner Harvey's Lil Goil and Water White, who was fifth in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2).

"It's a quality field, and we'll probably be the third or fourth choice. But if she continues to step forward, which she needs to do, she could be at that level," Summers said. "Sunday will help tell us a lot."

The Estate of Harvey A. Clarke and Paul Braverman's Harvey's Lil Goil exits an impressive dirt debut Dec. 12 at the Big A when she won by six lengths for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in a mile maiden special weight race on a good track. The runner-up, Persisto, broke her maiden in her next start and is among the seven starters Sunday.

In her debut, Harvey's Lil Goil, a daughter of 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah , was fourth on turf.

Bred in Kentucky by Clarke, she's out of the Tapit  mare Gloria S, whose first three foals are all winners.

E.V. Racing Stable's Water White didn't fire in the Demoiselle, but before that, the daughter of Conveyance  won by a head in a Nov. 15 maiden race for trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

Gary Barber's Quality Heat was third behind Truth Hurts in the allowance race and was third before that for trainer Mark Casse in the off-the-turf Tepin Stakes that also served as her dirt debut. The Quality Road  3-year-old has been third in five of her seven starts.

Alejandra Gonzalez's Ankle Monitor has won four of her eight starts, capped by a head victory in a starter optional claiming race Jan. 19 at Laurel Park. A daughter of Raison d'Etat  trained by Claudio Gonzalez, she was second in the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel one start before that.