Any disappointment the connections of J Be K may have felt last month were replaced with the feeling that better times may be ahead as the Silver Deputy colt trounced his rivals for an authoritative five-length victory in the 48th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Bay Shore for three-year-olds on Aqueduct’s main track.

It was the third win in four career starts for Zayat Stable’s J Be K, whose only loss came in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, where he was beaten nearly 17 lengths by Pyro.

That race convinced trainer Steve Asmussen that sprinting is J Be K’s strong suit for now, and he decided to turn back from a mile and a sixteenth to the seven-furlong Bay Shore.

The scratch of Double Down Vinman left a field of seven for the Bay Shore, but plenty of speed still remained on the main track, which was closed Friday and went from muddy to good to fast during Saturday’s live card.

Go Go Shoot and J Be K both broke sharply, but winning jockey Garrett Gomez opted to take aim at this rival from the outside. They got the first quarter of a mile in :22.38 and the half in :45.21.

Gomez, however, had plenty of horse and decided to take advantage.

“I let him kick on early,” said Gomez, whose mount covered six furlongs in 1:09.93. “I felt that we and the other horse (Go Go Shoot) went quick early on, but my horse was traveling well. Before the quarter-pole, I decided to have him kick on and put away the other horse and get to the wire. ”

J Be K’s finish proved that he will be a force in the sprint division this year, as he came home the winner in 1:23.67. He returned $5.10.

“He ran great and he ran just the way the boss thought he would,” said Toby Sheets, Asmussen’s New York assistant. “We tried the Louisiana Derby, but it looks like he is a sprinter or maybe a one-turn miler. I’m sure the boss will see how he comes out of the race and make his plan after that.”

Gattopardo was third, with Go Go Shoot, Magical Forest, Laysh Laysh Laysh and Make the Point in tow.