Shimmering Allure brings best resume into Busanda

Jan 11, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Shimmering Allure tops a small but intriguing field of five in Saturday’s $100,000 Busanda S. The next in the series of Road to the Kentucky Oaks events at Aqueduct, the 1 1/8-mile affair offers points on the 20-10-6-4-2 scale.

The Ken McPeek-trained Shimmering Allure is both the most experienced and most accomplished filly of the quintet. Fourth in the Oct. 6 Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland in her first stakes attempt, she moved forward in her ensuing starts here.

SHIMMERING ALLURE, by @DarleyStallions Enticed, stuns in the Tempted Stakes under @JuniorandKellyA for @KennyMcPeek! pic.twitter.com/ZbT3mxhGnP

— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) November 5, 2023

Shimmering Allure rallied from well off a hot pace to win the one-mile Tempted S. by three lengths, but the Dec. 2 Demoiselle (G2) didn’t set up for her closing style. Having little chance of catching the front-running Life Talk that day, Shimmering Allure stayed on for second. While she hopes for a stronger tempo back over the same track and trip in the Busanda, she won’t have to contend with Life Talk.

Instead, Life Talk’s connections, Repole Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher, will be represented by a stakes newcomer in Class Act. By 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Street Sense and out of a daughter of 2005 Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) champion Afleet Alex, Class Act just wired a maiden at this course and distance on Dec. 7.

Godolphin’s homebred Most of All, who faded to a distant fourth in the Demoiselle, is likely better than that. Two starts back, the Bill Mott pupil crushed an off-the-turf maiden by 10 lengths.

Gin Gin, a homebred from historic Calumet Farm, comes out of competitive Oaks scoring races at Churchill Downs. After a clear second in the Oct. 29 Rags to Riches S., the Brad Cox runner was a non-threatening fifth in the Nov. 25 Golden Rod (G2).

Rounding out the quintet is Princess Mayfair, who will make her first foray outside of Woodbine, on dirt, and in a stakes. The sprint maiden winner was most recently runner-up in an allowance on that venue’s Tapeta surface.

The Busanda is slated to go off at 2:47 p.m. (ET) as Saturday’s sixth race, and you can watch and wager at TwinSpires.com.