Aqueduct Racetrack – Ozone Park, Queens, New York
$200,000 – 1 mile (one turn) – Dirt – For 3-year-old fillies
(50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points; reduced proportionally with small field)
Scheduled Post Time: 1:13 PM ET
Aqueduct Racetrack is located at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. This is the traditional winter home for New York racing and a key early stop on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The Busher is a historic stepping stone for sophomore fillies, though this year’s edition drew a compact but quality field of just five.
Expected Weather Conditions
Mostly cloudy to partly sunny with highs in the mid-40s°F (around 47°F / 8°C) by post time. Lows in the low 30s°F overnight. Winds light (5–10 mph southwest). Precipitation chance 10% or less — no meaningful rain expected. Track temperatures should hold in the mid-40s°F. The main dirt track is currently fast and should remain that way (no overnight precipitation in the forecast; recent days have seen sealed/muddy surfaces, but this card looks dry and playable).
Track Conditions:
Main dirt track – expected fast. Aqueduct’s inner dirt this winter has played fair to slightly inside-favoring in one-turn routes, with speed holding reasonably well when the rail is good. No bias extremes noted in recent condition books.
Full Field with Post Positions, Morning-Line Odds, Jockeys, Trainers, Weights:
| PP | Horse | ML Odds | Weight | Jockey | Trainer |
| 1 | Nycon | 3/1 | 123 | Jaime A. Torres | D. Whitworth Beckman |
| 2 | Current Yield | 6/1 | 123 | Jaime Rodriguez | Chad C. Brown |
| 3 | Paradise | 7/5 | 123 | Manuel Franco | Brad H. Cox |
| 4 | Blazing Brat | 10/1 | 123 | Joseph D. Ramos | D. Whitworth Beckman |
| 5 | Interstatelovesong | 8/5 | 123 | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | Thomas Morley |
Detailed Analysis of Each Horse, Jockey, and Trainer:
PP 1 – Nycon (Nyquist – Raise the Flag, 3YO Filly, 3/1, 123 lbs, J: Jaime A. Torres, T: D. Whitworth Beckman)
Beckman’s first string and a solid closer. She was a neck second in the Cash Run S. on New Year’s Day while chasing a moderate pace. Torres (a meet leader) knows her well. The rail is a plus in a small field with limited early speed, but she may need to overcome a slow start. Beckman won this race last year with Drexel Hill (who later placed in the Oaks), so the barn has the recipe. Solid exotic player at square odds.
PP 2 – Current Yield (Nyquist – Denali Tizadream, 3YO Filly, 6/1, 123 lbs, J: Jaime Rodriguez, T: Chad C. Brown)
Klaravich Stables color-bearer making her stakes and two-turn debut off a dominant 1¾-length maiden win at Tampa Bay Downs (6½f, Jan 31). She pressed a fast pace and drew off with a 58 Beyer. Brown is 28% with second-out sophomores and excels stretching out his maidens. Rodriguez is riding confidently at the meet. She has tactical speed and the pedigree (Nyquist) to handle the mile, but the class jump is significant. Live longshot with upside.
PP 3 – Paradise (Gun Runner – Sounds of the City, 3YO Filly, 7/5, 123 lbs, J: Manuel Franco, T: Brad H. Cox)
The morning-line favorite and most logical on paper. Lightly raced daughter of Gun Runner; broke her maiden going a mile at Gulfstream (Jan 4) with a stalking trip and strong finish. Cox (perennial NYRA stakes threat) has her cross-entered in the Davona Dale at Gulfstream the same day — a strong vote of confidence if she stays here. Franco is a perfect 2-for-3 aboard her and rides the rail-to-center effectively. She has the pedigree to improve with distance and should sit a dream mid-pack trip. The one to beat.
PP 4 – Blazing Brat (Beau Liam – Brittney Brat, 3YO Filly, 10/1, 123 lbs, J: Joseph D. Ramos, T: D. Whitworth Beckman)
Beckman’s second entry and the likely longest shot. She was second in the Sandpiper S. at Tampa last out but has lower figures than the top contenders. Ramos is capable but the filly faces a big class hike. She’ll need the pace to collapse to factor; best used in superfectas or as a deep bomb. Same barn as Nycon gives the trainer a strong hand overall.
PP 5 – Interstatelovesong (Bolt d’Oro – Gentle Humor, 3YO Filly, 8/5, 123 lbs, J: Ricardo Santana, Jr., T: Thomas Morley)
The other co-favorite and the most experienced. She debuted with a second at Aqueduct (Nov 20), then romped by 5 lengths in a Dec 26 maiden special weight here. Most recently she set the pace and fought gamely to a neck second in the Ruthless S. (Feb 6, 7f at Aqueduct) while clear of the rest by 10 lengths. Morley calls her a “big, talented filly with a fabulous mind — very ratable and fast.” Santana, Jr. retains the mount and should have her forwardly placed from the outside. She loves the Aqueduct surface and projects to sit a perfect trip. Very tough to beat in current form.
Overall Outlook and Betting Angles:
This is a high-quality, small-field Kentucky Oaks prep with two standouts in Interstatelovesong (#5) and Paradise (#3). Interstatelovesong has the most proven stakes form and tactical speed; Paradise brings the Gun Runner upside and Cox magic. The Beckmann duo (Nycon and Blazing Brat) adds depth, while Current Yield is the wild card stretching out for Brown. Pace should be moderate-to-honest with Interstatelovesong and Current Yield up front.
