Magic Circle seeks breakthrough in Busanda

Magic Circle, who sprang a 25-1 upset in her debut at Saratoga, was a distant fourth behind presumptive champion Echo Zulu and Gerrymander in the Frizette (G1). The Rudy Rodriguez trainee moved forward in the Nov. 5 Tempted, where she stalked a moderate pace and missed by only a half-length to Gerrymander. Magic Circle controlled the slow tempo in the Demoiselle, held over this same track and 1 1/8-mile trip, and succumbed late to Nest and Venti Valentine. In their absence, Magic Circle hopes to stay the distance with new rider Jose Ortiz. 

Morning Matcha has placed twice in restricted stakes company, in the Sept. 13 Finest City S. on the Presque Isle Downs Tapeta, and most recently in the Dec. 18 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion S. here. Rallying from last in an 11-filly field, Morning Matcha was a strong second. The Butch Reid pupil had won her previous two at Parx, including a 6 1/4-length rout in a one-mile allowance, and she keeps Kendrick Carmouche aboard. 

Triple Crown champion American Pharoah is represented by Rosebug, a recent maiden winner going seven furlongs over this sloppy track for Bill Mott. Fourth to Gerrymander on debut at Saratoga, Rosebug tried turf in her next two before reverting to the main track. The Mike Rutherford homebred aims to do better than her dam, Grade 3 winner Taittinger Rose, the fourth-placer in the 2004 Busanda. 

The Chad Brown-trained Waters of Merom is a female-line descendant of 2000 Kentucky Oaks (G1) queen Secret Status. Claimed out of a Keeneland maiden romp for $30,000, Waters of Merom resurfaced at Aqueduct and wired a starter allowance. This is a deeper group, but she’s encountered stakes-caliber rivals before. In her unveiling at Indiana Grand last summer, Waters of Merom was second to next-out stakes winner Sea Level, beating Optionality, who’s since developed into a multiple stakes romper expected to join the Oaks trail. 

Reigning Chick was dominant at first asking Dec. 19 versus fellow New York-breds. That was over seven furlongs, but she could appreciate the stretch-out as a daughter of Sky Kingdom. Gamestonks is proven around two turns, but in much easier company. A winner for a $20,000 maiden claiming tag at Laurel, she crushed starter allowance foes at Parx in her latest. 

The Busanda is named in honor of Ogden Phipps’ outstanding racemare who captured the 1950 Alabama and defeated males in such major races as the Suburban H. and Saratoga Cup (twice). But Busanda is more often celebrated as the dam of Hall of Famer and influential sire Buckpasser. Her race is carded as Sunday’s 8TH, with a post time of 3:50 p.m. (ET).