Running Away Eyes Kentucky Oaks Points in Busanda

Stud TNT's dominating maiden winner Running Away  tackles black-type company for the first time in the $125,000 Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Busanda is the first of Aqueduct's prep races for the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) and offers Road to the Kentucky Oaks points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five finishers. All nine sophomore fillies will be vying for their first batch of points in Saturday's race.

Running Away, who hails from the family of 2005 Kentucky Oaks victress Summerly, just missed in her first two outings on the turf for trainer Wesley Ward before rolling to a wire-to-wire score in her dirt debut Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky shipper will break from the outer 9 post in the 1 1/8-mile contest with jockey Sahin Civaci in the irons.

Among the cast of locals in the Busanda includes Domenick Schettino-trained Bernieandtherose , 2-for-3 against New York-breds, as well as Ramify  and Sharp Smile , a pair of recent Aqueduct maiden winners from top trainers Chad Brown and Brad Cox, respectively.

Ramify, a Juddmonte homebred by Munnings  , won her debut going a one-turn mile Dec. 8. Ramify is out of the winning Tapit   mare Chamber, a daughter of multiple grade 1 winner Sightseek.

"We worked with the family a long time trying to get something to keep the Sightseek line going. I have to say that I was disappointed that as brilliant of a mare as Sightseek was, and as magnificent-looking she was, we couldn't get anything out of her that was anywhere close to her ability," said Juddmonte USA general manager Garrett O'Rourke. "Chamber did show ability but had some issues. When she won, she won impressively, but we weren't able to get her to black-type level. It took going from stallion to stallion seeing what is it that can unlock the brilliance going back to Sightseek, and maybe it will be with Ramify.

"At this time of year, you're just trying to find out what level of ability these horses have and where we're at with them. Coming off that nice maiden win, it seemed like the natural progression. We get all of that education on Saturday, and hopefully it's to our liking."

Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle two Sunday, one from his South Florida string and the other stabled in New York. Vanning in from the south is Ruth , an Uncle Mo full sister to grade 2 winner Mopotism , who captured her debut last month at Gulfstream Park in a one-mile maiden special weight. Pletcher also has Empire State-based entrant Carmen's Candy Jar , one of the most experienced runners in the field with six starts, and is thrice stakes-placed for owner/breeder Repole Stable.