Flora Dora will try to take another step forward on the Aqueduct Racetrack path to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) when she faces an expected six 3-year-old fillies in the $125,000 Busher Stakes on Feb. 27.
After opening the 2016 season with a clear victory in the one-mile, 70-yard Busanda Stakes, Coffee Pot Stables' Flora Dora will try to make it two straight at Aqueduct when the daughter of First Dude stretches out just a bit for the 1 1/16-mile Busher.
Flora Dora picked up 10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points with her Busanda victory. The Busher also is a Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifying race that offers points on a 50-20-10-5 scale to the top four finishers.
Trained by Marialice Coffey, Flora Dora won last year's My Dear Girl division of the Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park and finished second in the Tempted Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct. On Saturday, Cornelio Velasquez is scheduled to ride Flora Dora for the first time. She will start from the outside in the field of seven and carries high weight of 122 pounds.
JOHNSON: Poised Flora Dora Soars for Coffee Pot
The only other stakes winner entered in the Busher is Repole Stable's Lost Raven, who won last year's Smart Halo Stakes at Laurel Park. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the daughter of Uncle Mo enters off a third-place finish in the Busanda. Pletcher also will send out King of Prussia Stable's Mo d'Amour. The daughter of Uncle Mo enters off an impressive allowance-optional claiming race winner Feb. 6 at Laurel.
