Alert Bay survives inquiry in Cal Cup Turf Classic

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Alert Bay extended his winning streak to five races over a span of four months in Saturday’s $250,500 California Cup Turf Classic at Santa Anita.

The seven-minute inquiry needed to review the stretch run may have seemed like four months to trainer Blaine Wright, who won the richest race of his career on Saturday.

Alert Bay ($7.80) won by a neck over Boozer, who finished a head in front of Patriots Rule. The inquiry focused on the stretch run when jockey Tyler Baze moved Alert Bay to the rail with a furlong to go, forcing jockey Rafael Bejarano to take up on a fading G.G. Ryder.

The stewards ruled that G.G. Ryder was hampered, but that it did not cost that runner a better placing. G.R. Ryder set the pace and was in fifth when Alert Bay went by. The decision not to change the order of finish was reached by a vote of 2-1, according to steward Scott Chaney.

Tyler “felt like we would stay up,” Wright said. “Myself, I sweated it out a little bit more.

“We scooted out of a tough one. He could have come down.”

Alert Bay ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:47.62. He was fourth early and did not reach the front until the final strides.

Patriots Rule, who closed from ninth in the final furlong, was followed in the order of finish by Big Bane Theory, Super Ability, Awesome Return, Bench Light, G.G. Ryder, Tamarando, and Stoney Fleece.

Alert Bay, a 4-year-old gelding by City Zip, races for Peter Redekop of British Columbia. Alert Bay’s winning streak began with two Grade 3 races at Hastings Park – the British Columbia Derby and Premier Handicap - the Zia Park Derby in New Mexico and the Mathis Brothers Mile here on Dec. 26

Alert Bay has won 8 of 14 starts and earned $754,707.

“We’re on a five-race winning streak,” Wright said. “He’s taken me to a level I want to be.”