Water White Nabs Busher Invitational at 17-1
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Water White gets up to win the Busher Invitational at Aqueduct Racetrack
E.V. Racing Stable's Water White rallied into Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) contention March 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack as she poked her nose in front at the finish line to upset the $260,625 Busher Invitational at 17-1.
The first black-type winner for her sire, Conveyance , Water White was entered off a runner-up finish in the Feb. 2 Busanda Stakes. She scored 50 points on the Road the Kentucky Oaks, giving her a total of 54 on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.
"We were happy with the way she was coming into the race. It's a very tough group, but she was training very good," trainer Rudy Rodriguez said. "We decided to take a chance, and she's been beaten by some nice, solid horses. We just took our time and let her continue to develop, and today was our day.
"She was coming every step of the way. She wants to run all day. We're going to try to point to the (April 4) Gazelle (G3) from here. We'll see how she comes out of this race, and we'll take it from there."
Water White was piloted by Jorge Vargas Jr. and relaxed in sixth early. Demoiselle Stakes (G2) winner and 4-5 favorite Lake Avenue, ridden by Junior Alvarado, set the pace, opening with fractions of :23.30 and :46.81 through a half-mile. Kansas Kis, who was seventh a quarter of a mile in, advanced to be third at the half-mile marker. Only Tempted Stakes winner and Demoiselle runner-up Maedean trailed Water White.
Kansas Kis took over to run six furlongs in 1:12.95 as Lake Avenue flattened out. Vargas took Water White four wide and asked his mount to go in the stretch. She had 3 1/2 lengths to make up on Kansas Kis, but her fast closing kick carried her to the wire first by a nose.
The final time for the mile was 1:40.21 on a fast track.
"The filly was super good going into this race. It was about time because she's been running so good," Vargas said. "She kicked pretty well."
Finishing 5 1/4 lengths behind Kansas Kis was Panthera Onca in third. Lake Avenue was fourth.
"I wish we could run the race again," Alvarado said. "She missed the break a little bit. I wanted to take a hold and sit outside. Instead, I had to let her roll a little bit, and I ended up in a duel. We just went a little too quick going a mile at this track. We paid the price at the end.
"She is a better filly than that. Coming off a layoff, it was a little too much for me to ask her to go that fast in the beginning."
Water White was bred in Kentucky by Richard Forbush out of the Unbridled's Song mare Uzume. She is from the first crop of Conveyance, who entered stud at Buck Pond Farm near Versailles, Ky., in 2016.
The gray or roan filly was a $50,000 purchase by Esteban Vargas from the Forbush Farm consignment to the The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's summer yearling sale in Lexington, in 2018. The Busher improved her record to 2-2-0 from six starts and her earnings to $234,275.