Having never finished worse than second in eight prior lifetime starts, Bishop’s Bay continued the trend Sunday when battling all the way to a narrow score over Quint’s Brew in a wet renewal of the GIII Westchester Stakes at the Big A.
Smoothly away from his inside draw, favored Bishop’s Bay locked horns with Quint’s Brew early, and the two haggled for the lead through opening splits of :23.70 and :46.32. Still moving in tandem turning for home, Quint’s Brew appeared to assume a blade’s edge advantage in the lane, but Bishop’s Brew fought back late to earn a half-length win over the second choice.
“He showed some good speed out of there to get a position,” said winning rider Flavien Prat. “Then I thought that horse on the outside [Quint’s Brew] would be a lot faster than me and clear me, but he never did. I was happy to stay here and he was traveling well, he was happy and showed a lot of grit.”
A winner of his first two career starts at the Fair Grounds, the bay finished runner-up in his next two in Grade III company, including a close-up finish behind ultimate GI Belmont hero Arcangelo (Arrogate) in the 2023 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont. Shelved for the remainder of his sophomore year, he resurfaced with a win in an 8 1/2-furlong test at Indiana last November before finishing second as the favorite in a muddy optional claiming test at Oaklawn Jan. 5. Back on top at that venue Jan. 25, the Brad Cox trainee eked out a narrow victory in the overnight American Pharoah Stakes Mar. 29.
“He’s been a really honest horse,” said Dustin Dugas, assistant to Brad Cox. “Everyone has been really high on him down in Kentucky. They did a great job with him down there. He’s only been up here for a couple days. He earned it today.”
Pedigree Notes:
The 58th graded/group winner for Coolmore’s Uncle Mo, Bishops Bay is out of SW and Grade I placed Catch My Drift, who is also responsible for GII Louisiana Derby winner and millionaire Catching Freedom (Constitution) and MSP Strava (Into Mischief). Catch My Drift also produced a filly by Not This Time in 2023 in addition to a filly by Uncle Mo this season.
Bishops Bay was purchased by BSW/Crow for the partnership at the Keeneland September Sale in 2021
WESTCHESTER S.-GIII, $175,000, Belmont The Big A, 5-4, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:34.19, my.
1–BISHOPS BAY, 120, h, 5, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Catch My Drift (SW & GISP, $280,540), by Pioneerof the Nile
2nd Dam: Drift to the Lead, by Yonaguska
3rd Dam: Drifa, by Tabasco Cat
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($450,000 Ylg ’21 KEESEP). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC, Steve Landers, Martin S. Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, LLC, Kueber Racing, LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC, Rick Kanter, Michael J Caruso & WinStar Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 9-6-3-0, $513,550. *1/2 to Catching Freedom (Constitution), GSW & GISP, $1,374,850; and to Strava (Into Mischief), MSP, $472,326. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Quint’s Brew, 124, g, 4, Mosler–Gansett, by Jump Start. O-Paul Berube, Karen Linnell, and Heather Hunter; B-Paul W Berube, Karen Linnell & Spinnaker Hill Farm (MD); T-Edward T. Allard. $35,000.
3–Yo Daddy, 120, c, 4, Yoshida (Jpn)–Elle Stormin’, by Tale of the Cat. ($29,000 RNA 2yo ’23 OBSOPN). O-Winning Move Stable; B-Big Chief Racing LLC & Rocker O Ranch LLC (KY); T-Linda Rice. $21,000.
Margins: HF, 6HF, HD. Odds: 1.50, 1.70, 21.30.
Also Ran: Bank Frenzy, Worcester, Howgreatisnate, Tumbarumba. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Article Taken from The Thoroughbred Daily News: https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/pdf/tdn/tdn250505.pdf
