Busanda was a moody sort, but when she felt like running, she was right up there with the best from her crop as a stayer. Fortunately, while she passed her stamina, durability and good conformation to her progeny, she did not always pass on her temperament. A great influence on American Thoroughbred breeding through her son Buckpasser, she also bred on through her daughters.
Race record
65 starts, 10 wins, 5 seconds, 13 thirds, US$182,460
1949:
1950:
1951:
1952:
Assessments
Rated third among American 3-year-old fillies of 1950 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated third among American older females of 1951 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
Busanda was a black mare standing something over 16 hands tall. She was rather masculine and angular in make but generally correct. She was notoriously moody on the track but when willing to run combined great stamina with good tactical speed. She could run up with the pace or be taken back to make a strong closing run. She tended to resent the whip.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Busanda produced eight named foals. All eight started and five won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Busanda was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps. She was trained by Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons but was sometimes saddled for her races by Fitzsimmons' assistant, Bartholomew Sweeney.
Pedigree notes
Busanda is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to the stakes-winning colt Auditing (by Count Fleet) and stakes-placed His Duchess (by Blenheim II), dam of stakes winner Comic (by Tom Fool) and the fine broodmare So Social (by Tim Tam).
Busanda's dam Businesslike failed to win in two starts but is a full sister to 1946 Selima Stakes winner Bee Ann Mac and stakes-placed Big Event, dam of the good stakes winner Hall of Fame (by Shut Out) and second dam of major stakes winners The Axe II, Malicious, and Francis S. Businesslike is also a half sister to two-time American champion Bimelech, 1935 American champion 3-year-old filly Black Helen, and 1938 Selima Stakes winner Big Hurry, all by Black Toney. In addition, she is a half sister to stakes winner Biologist (by Bubbling Over) and to the important producer Baby League (by Bubbling Over), dam of 1945 Horse of the Year Busher and 1961 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Striking to covers by War Admiral. The dam of Businesslike, the great matron La Troienne (by Teddy), is a full sister to Lincolnshire Handicap winner Leonidas and a half sister to 1934 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) winner Adargatis, who was sired by Teddy's son Astérus.
Books and media
Busanda is profiled in Chapter 7 of John Sparkman's Foundation Mares: How Outstanding Female Families Shaped America's Breeding Industry (2008, Thoroughbred Times Books).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the Keeneland Library Collection; used by permission.
Last updated: May 17, 2023
Race record
65 starts, 10 wins, 5 seconds, 13 thirds, US$182,460
1949:
- 3rd Selima Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Laurel)
1950:
- Won Alabama Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Delaware Oaks (USA, 9FD, Delaware)
- 3rd Coaching Club American Oaks (USA, 11FD, Belmont)
1951:
- Won New Castle Handicap (USA, 10FD, Delaware)
- Won Suburban Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
- Won Saratoga Cup (USA, 14FD, Saratoga)
- Won Top Flight Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Daingerfield Handicap (USA, 16.5FD, Empire City)
- 3rd Manhattan Handicap (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
1952:
- Won Saratoga Cup (USA, 14FD, Saratoga)
- Won Diana Handicap (USA, 9FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Saratoga Handicap (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
Assessments
Rated third among American 3-year-old fillies of 1950 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated third among American older females of 1951 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
Busanda was a black mare standing something over 16 hands tall. She was rather masculine and angular in make but generally correct. She was notoriously moody on the track but when willing to run combined great stamina with good tactical speed. She could run up with the pace or be taken back to make a strong closing run. She tended to resent the whip.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Busanda produced eight named foals. All eight started and five won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Bureaucracy (1954, by Polynesian) won the Dwyer Handicap and two other stakes races. A gelding, he had no opportunity to contribute to future generations.
- Finance (1955, by Nasrullah) is the second dam of American champion 2-year-old filly Outstandingly and Grade 3 winner Lovelier and is the third dam of six stakes winners headed by English Group 2 winner Sensation, Grade 2 winner Della Francesca, and multiple Irish Group 3 winner Bernstein, a champion sire in Argentina.
- Oak Cluster (1957, by Nasrullah) produced multiple Irish Group 3 winner Manitoulin (by Tom Rolfe) and the minor stakes winners Open Hearing (by Court Martial) and Twice Cited (by Double Jay). She is also the second dam of 1981 Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1) winner Splendid Spruce and Grade 2 winner Outdoors.
- Bupers (1961, by Double Jay) won the 1963 Futurity Stakes but was a poor sire.
- Buckpasser (1963, by Tom Fool) was champion of his division at 2, 3 and 4 and was American Horse of the Year in 1966. An excellent sire, he led the American broodmare sire list four times and had several important sire sons.
- Navsup (1966, by Tatán) produced multiple Grade 1 winner Polish Navy (by Danzig) and is the second dam of listed stakes winner Charts (by Mari's Book) and the good steeplechaser Floating Interest (by Lord Avie).
Connections
Busanda was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps. She was trained by Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons but was sometimes saddled for her races by Fitzsimmons' assistant, Bartholomew Sweeney.
Pedigree notes
Busanda is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to the stakes-winning colt Auditing (by Count Fleet) and stakes-placed His Duchess (by Blenheim II), dam of stakes winner Comic (by Tom Fool) and the fine broodmare So Social (by Tim Tam).
Busanda's dam Businesslike failed to win in two starts but is a full sister to 1946 Selima Stakes winner Bee Ann Mac and stakes-placed Big Event, dam of the good stakes winner Hall of Fame (by Shut Out) and second dam of major stakes winners The Axe II, Malicious, and Francis S. Businesslike is also a half sister to two-time American champion Bimelech, 1935 American champion 3-year-old filly Black Helen, and 1938 Selima Stakes winner Big Hurry, all by Black Toney. In addition, she is a half sister to stakes winner Biologist (by Bubbling Over) and to the important producer Baby League (by Bubbling Over), dam of 1945 Horse of the Year Busher and 1961 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Striking to covers by War Admiral. The dam of Businesslike, the great matron La Troienne (by Teddy), is a full sister to Lincolnshire Handicap winner Leonidas and a half sister to 1934 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) winner Adargatis, who was sired by Teddy's son Astérus.
Books and media
Busanda is profiled in Chapter 7 of John Sparkman's Foundation Mares: How Outstanding Female Families Shaped America's Breeding Industry (2008, Thoroughbred Times Books).
Fun facts
- Busanda's name was a U.S. Navy acronym for the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, reflecting Ogden Phipps' service in the Navy during World War II.
- Although Phipps was Busanda's breeder of record, she was conceived while her dam was still owned by Colonel Edward Riley Bradley. Following Bradley's death in August 1946, Phipps formed a partnership with John Hay Whitney of Greentree Stable and Robert Kleberg, Jr., of King Ranch to buy the bulk of Bradley's remaining bloodstock. The partners then drew straws for ownership of the individual animals in the group, and Businesslike (with Busanda in utero) fell to Phipps' share.
- The Busanda Stakes is a stakes race for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct. Inaugurated in 1974, it is contested at 9 furlongs on dirt as of 2020.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the Keeneland Library Collection; used by permission.
Last updated: May 17, 2023