In the April 4 $291,000 Carter Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct, Point Dume, a 5-year-old gelding by Into Mischief, staged a determined front-running victory over champion sprinter Book’em Danno. Claimed for $40,000 in 2025 by Bush Racing stable, Point Dume’s win marked a milestone for owner Bryan Bushey, who has battled stage 4 pancreatic cancer since 2024. The victory was especially emotional as it was Bushey’s first graded stakes win, achieved amid ongoing chemotherapy treatments. Trainer Timothy Kreiser and jockey Edwin Gonzalez also celebrated career firsts, with Point Dume becoming the seventh graded stakes winner for sire Into Mischief this season.
Later on the card, Grammy Girl, a 5-year-old daughter of Mastery, upset Eclipse Award winner Immersive in the $139,500 Distaff Stakes (G3) over 7 furlongs. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Grammy Girl rallied wide to capture her second consecutive stakes victory and first graded stakes win, holding off Immersive and Jody’s Pride in a four-horse field. Both races highlighted the rise of former claiming horses achieving graded success and underscored the emotional and competitive spirit of their connections.
