Bishops Bay digs in for G3 Westchester score

Last-out stakes-winner Bishops Bay would not be denied in his third graded stakes attempt, outlasting Quint’s Brew to capture Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester, a one-turn mile for older horses, at Belmont at the Big A.
 
Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox, the 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo was twice graded placed as a sophomore, including a head loss to subsequent Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Travers-winner Arcangelo in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park. Never worse than second in nine outings, Bishops Bay secured the victory with a determined pace-pressing trip engineered by Flavien Prat, the two a perfect 3-for-3 together after a pair of wins at Oaklawn Park that included the restricted 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah last out on March 29. 
 
Dustin Dugas, Cox’s Belmont Park-based assistant, said Bishops Bay had impressed the team at Churchill Downs in recent weeks.
 
"He's been a really honest horse,” Dugas said. “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.
 
"I thought it was a good performance,” Dugas added. “He's a really cool horse. He dug in well and didn't seem to mind being down on the inside there. He took everything in stride, dug in gamely and prevailed.”
 
Bishops Bay was sharp from the inside post in the field of seven, cruising up to challenge Tumbarumba and Quint’s Brew for the lead exiting the chute. Tumbarumba was taken back by Hall of Famer John Velazquez to let the Mychel Sanchez-piloted Quint’s Brew mark the opening quarter-mile in a pressured 23.70 seconds over the muddy and sealed footing with Bishops Bay to his inside.
 
"He showed some good speed out of there to get a position,” Prat explained. “Then I thought that horse on the outside would be a lot faster than me and clear me, but he never did. I was happy to stay there and he was traveling well, he was happy and showed a lot of grit."
 
Prat tested the waters and allowed Bishops Bay to briefly stick his head in front through the half-mile in 46.32, but Quint’s Brew responded and kept to even terms with his foe as they rounded the turn while Bank Frenzy was given his cue swinging wide around the frontrunners.
 
Bishops Bay came under a strong hand ride at the top of the lane with Bank Frenzy spinning his wheels and Quint’s Brew refusing to yield through three-quarters in 1:09.90. Bishops Bay was all-out at the eighth pole with Quint’s Brew threatening to sweep by the favorite with every stride, but the Cox trainee found enough late to prevail by a half-length over the stubborn Quint’s Brew in a final time of 1:34.19.
 
Yo Daddy rallied late to finish third 6 1/2 lengths back while a head better than Bank Frenzy. Worcester, Howgreatisnate and Tumbarumba completed the order of finish.
 
Prat, fresh off a three-win Saturday at Churchill Downs that included a victory aboard Zulu Kingdom in the Grade 1 American Turf, said Bishops Bay has exciting potential in this division.
 
"It seems like he's getting everything together,” Prat said. “It is fun to be around him. Very brave and a lot of courage."
 
Sanchez said the Ned Allard-trained Quint’s Brew gave another strong performance on the heels of a neck second to Crazy Mason in the Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets on April 5 here.
 
"I had an unbelievable trip. The one [Bishops Bay] had a really good trip, too, he was inside, I was outside,” Sanchez said. “I was hoping the two or three would show more speed and go with him, but nobody really broke fast. It was just me and him through the whole race basically. That is no excuse. He ran a monster race. It was another great effort. Once you compete against this level of horses in graded races, it is never going to be easy -- hopefully someday we get it done."
 
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Bishops Bay is campaigned by Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers, Martin Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing, Rick Kanter, Michael J. Caruso and WinStar Farm. A $450,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, he is out of the dual graded stakes-placed Pioneerof the Nile mare Catch my Drift and is a half-brother to the Cox-trained Grade 2-winning millionaire Catching Freedom.
 
Bishops Bay banked $96,250 in victory while improving his record to 9-6-3-0 and returning $5 on a $2 win bet.  

Live racing resumes Thursday at Belmont at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
 
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.