Stud TNT's Running Away (f, 3, Gun Runner–Allez Marie, by Unbridled's Song), a five-length, wire-to-wire winner at third asking–her first try on dirt–going two turns at Churchill Downs Nov. 30, never looked back in Saturday's $125,000 Busanda Stakes at the Big A, good for 20 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks.
The 3-2 favorite cleared her rivals from her outside draw in post six beneath the hot-handed Sahin Civaci, led through fractions of :23.83 and :48.50 and kept on finding in the stretch to score by 2 1/4 lengths. My Sherrona (Not This Time) finished second; Sharp Smile (Practical Joke) was third.
Running Away shipped in from winning trainer Wesley Ward's Keeneland base. Her most recent breeze was an easy five furlongs in 1:04 1/5 (13/14) back on Jan. 3.
“She's a nice filly,” Ward said. “As soon as we fell into the turn and we had the lead and I saw her prick her ears, I knew that we were in really good shape. The weather here in Kentucky has been compromised to train a route horse like this. It's been a while since her last start and she wasn't cranked as much as I'd like, but her ability got her there as well as the track played in our favor.”
As for a potential start in either the GIII Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct Apr. 5 or the GI Ashland Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 4, Ward added, “My home track is Keeneland and I try to run everything here. With the Ashland being around the same time [as the Gazelle], we'll have a discussion with Goncalo Torrealba and his team and make a decision as we get closer.”
Running Away becomes the 37th stakes winner worldwide for her leading young sire Gun Runner. After producing a coltby Munnings last year, the winner's dam Allez Marie was bred back to Elite Power.
Allez Marie, a daughter of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Summerly (Summer Squall), brought a sale-topping $750,000 from Three Chimneys Farm while in foal to Elite Power at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton December Digital Sale. Three Chimneys Farm also acquired her aforementioned Munnings colt for $320,000 at the same auction.
BUSANDA S., $125,000, Aqueduct, 1-18, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:52.23, ft.
1–RUNNING AWAY, 118, f, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Allez Marie (GSP-Brz), by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Summerly, by Summer Squall
3rd Dam: Here I Go, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Stud TNT (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward;
J-Sahin Civaci. $68,750. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-1, $166,875.
*1/2 to Legalize (Constitution), SW, $133,025; Tomato Bill
(More Than Ready), GSP, $152,575; Fouette (Nyquist), MSP,
$303,845; Workaholic (Sky Mesa), SW, $144,828.
2–My Sherrona, 118, f, 3, Not This Time–Class Included, by
Include. ($275,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-West
Paces Racing LLC, Cypresshead Racing, LLC, Twin Sports Racing,
Brown Road Racing & Arnold, Douglas S.; B-Buck Pond Farm,
Inc. (KY); T-Raymond Handal. $25,000.
3–Sharp Smile, 118, f, 3, Practical Joke–Chocolate Pop, by
Cuvee. ($350,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Drown,
Jeffrey & Rachel, Don; B-Camas Park Stud & Lynch Bages LTD.
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $15,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1, 5HF. Odds: 1.55, 6.00, 3.55.
Also Ran: Ramify, Beautiful Blome, Ruth. Scratched: Bernieandtherose, Bless the Broken, Carmen's Candy Jar. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
RUNNING AWAY lives up to her name, winning the Busanda Stakes and earning 20 Kentucky Oaks points! 🌹@SahinCivaci was in the irons for trainer Wesley Ward. pic.twitter.com/eyx3ghyz1A
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) January 18, 2025
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