Australia: Biscayne Bay well spotted to get back in win column

The Australian filly Biscayne Bay was a stakes winner in May 2021, form she was unable to duplicate in eight starts in some of the country’s toughest races the ensuing year.

Biscayne Bay has been given lesser targets this year. After finishing a decent second in a seven-furlong handicap at Warwick Farm Racecourse on March 1 in her first start since June, Biscayne Bay will start favored in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Tuesday evening.

Trained by the powerful partnership of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Biscayne Bay will be ridden by James McDonald, who rode the winner of a Group 1 sprint in Hong Kong on Sunday.

Biscayne Bay will break from the outside in a field of 10 and will race from off the pace. The distance should not be an issue. Biscayne Bay was third in the Group 1 VRC Oaks at 1 1/2 miles at Flemington Racecourse in November 2021 with a closing style. In the March 1 race at Warwick Farm, Biscayne Bay closed from sixth in a field of nine to lose by a length.

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In Tuesday evening’s race, Biscayne Bay will be challenged by another closer in Bon Vivant, a 4-year-old gelding who has finished second and third in three handicaps at distances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 1/4 miles since late January.

Trained by James Cummings, Bon Vivant also has a background in group stakes. His best result in races at that level was a fourth in the Group 2 Autumn Classic at 1 1/8 miles at Caulfield Racecourse in February 2022 when he closed to miss by 1 1/2 lengths.

Bon Vivant and Biscayne Bay will be in pursuit of Silent Agenda, a 7-year-old gelding who has won 6 of 57 starts. Silent Agenda, who is winless in 15 starts since February 2022, has run well in defeat this year. He was third by slightly more than a half-length in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Canterbury Racecourse on Feb. 24.

Tuesday’s handicap is part of an eight-race program that begins at 10:45 p.m. Eastern or 7:45 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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