When trainer Bruce Levine got the news that a shoulder injury would force probable favorite Ah Day out of yesterday's General George Handicap at Laurel Park, it didn't matter because he was already confident that his horse, Bustin Stones, had trained well enough to win the $300,000 race.
With Ah Day's departure, Bustin Stones was tabbed as the 2-1 favorite by the betting public for the Grade II race, and he did not disappoint, leading from the start and winning the seven-horse race by a head in a steady rain.
Bustin Stones returned to the track Jan. 21 after a seven-month layoff because of double knee surgery, and that made yesterday's victory even sweeter.
"Anytime they can come back and reward you, what more could you ask?" Levine said. "I'd rather take a chip out of an ankle than a knee because there is less to deal with. Nothing bothers him."
Bustin Stones, a 4-year-old New York-bred horse, paid $6.20, $3.80 and $3.20 and topped a $37.20 exacta and $210.60 trifecta.
Jockey Ramon Dominguez has been aboard Bustin Stones for four of the horse's five career victories. Bustin Stones has earned $300,150 in the five starts.
"He is a dream horse to ride because he is like a quarter horse coming out of the gate," Dominguez said. "By the second jump he is listening to you. ... I could hear the commotion behind us, and I really did not know how close they were or who it was, but he knew someone was there and kept on digging."
Lord Snowdon, winner of the Paumonok Handicap on Jan. 26 at Aqueduct, finished second. Premium Wine placed third, and the race's local entry, Ryan's for Real, trained by John Alecci, was fourth.
Bustin Stones set the pace from the beginning and shook off the pressure from Lord Snowdon to narrowly win the seven-furlong race. It could have been even tighter, but Premium Wine had traffic problems through the stretch.
"My horse ran big, but the winner dug deep," said Jeremy Rose, who rode Lord Snowdon. "The race set up perfectly for us. We just couldn't get there."
Ah Day, a 5-year-old gelding, was second in the race last year, and his shoulder injury is expected to heal. His connections were not exactly sure how the injury occurred but speculated that it happened in the stable.