Bay of Plenty's comeback goes just as planned

ELMONT, N.Y. – Kiaran McLaughlin says he doesn’t do it often, but in the paddock prior to Bay of Plenty’s return to the races Wednesday at Belmont Park he asked jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to try and save something for the next race.

“I said we don’t need a hard race, just in case we want to run back in three weeks,” McLaughlin said Thursday. “It went according to plan.”

It certainly did. Not only did Bay of Plenty win his first start in five months, but Ortiz took the horse in hand in the final 70 yards and now the Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery on Nov. 1 is a possible next start for Bay of Plenty.

“If not the Discovery, we’ll have to see what the bosses want to do,” McLaughlin said.

The bosses are John Ferguson and Jimmy Bell, the racing managers for Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum’s Godolphin operation.

Bay of Plenty won the second-level allowance race by 2 3/4 lengths, running a mile in 1:36.90 and earning a 96 Beyer Speed Figure. He had been off owing to a serious foot issue.

Bay of Plenty has thrived training at Saratoga, and on Thursday morning he was vanned back there and will train over the Oklahoma training track until a decision is made on where he will run next.

“This time of year, Dubai is always in the conversation and it will be again this year,” McLaughlin said. “I would love to give him a horse that could win the Dubai World Cup or Godolphin Mile.”

McLaughlin said that Long River, third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, is under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Long River and Transparent are also candidates to go to Dubai.