Bishops Bay catches Mika for narrow victory in Cigar Mile
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Mika came to the top of the stretch of Saturday’s Grade 2 Cigar Mile about three lengths clear of favored Bishops Bay and, despite running fast to get there, the 14-1 shot showed no signs of slowing down under Manny Franco.
It was going to take a really good horse to catch him.
Bishops Bay is a really good horse.
Under a persevering Flavien Prat, Bishops Bay kept coming in the stretch and, despite conceding seven pounds (125-118) to his lesser-accomplished rival, Bishops Bay caught Mika to win the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile by a neck at Aqueduct. It was 4 1/4 lengths back to Grade 2 Carter winner Crazy Mason in third.
It was the ninth win from 13 starts and fourth in a graded stakes for Bishops Bay, whose connections hope he’s now done enough to earn a spot in the starting gate for the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 14 at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh. The Cigar Mile was the first start for Bishops Bay since he was purchased for $1.3 million last month by agent Pedro Lanz on behalf of the Saudi-based owners KAS Stables.
Since Bishops Bay was already a two-time graded stakes winner going a mile at Aqueduct, the Cigar Mile was a logical spot for the 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo to prep for the Saudi Cup.
Prat was 4 for 4 on Bishops Bay, including wins in the Grade 3 Westchester and, most recently, the Grade 3 Forty Niner Stakes at Aqueduct. In both races, Bishops Bay was either right on or just off the pace.
On Saturday, Bishops Bay was second, but three lengths behind Mika, who ran a half-mile in 45.72 seconds and six furlongs in 1:09.63 to establish his clear lead. Prat said when he came to the top of the lane, he could tell Mika wasn’t stopping, but neither was his horse.
“We turned for home and he didn’t open up on me and I was able to stick close to him,” Prat said. “I figured at some point he would slow down and my horse wasn’t.”
Franco said Mika, late in the race, may have gotten a little tired from setting those fast fractions.
“At the three-sixteenths pole I said man I think I’m going to get it,” Franco said. “Just at the eighth pole he felt the [45.72-second half-mile].”
Mike Maker, who took over the training of Mika following a blowout allowance win for trainer Brittany Russell last out, said Mika ran “too good to lose, but considering the jump up in company, can’t complain.”
Mika finished 4 1/2 lengths clear of Crazy Mason, who was two lengths clear of Phileas Fogg. Pentathlon and Brazenly completed the order of finish. Doc Sullivan scratched.
As he watched the race unfold on a television set in South Florida, Brad Cox, the trainer of Bishops Bay, knew one thing for sure about his horse.
“He’s a horse that knows how to come out on the right end of a dogfight,” Cox said. “The horse on the lead was traveling awfully well on lead, there was definitely some concern. When they straightened up, he dug in, and Flavien timed it just right.”
Bishops Bay covered the mile in 1:34.62 (107 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $4.40 as the 6-5 favorite.
“He’s just a very game horse, he’s very honest, he always moves forward, he has a great mind and he’s wanting to win every time. It’s fun to be around him.”
The biggest disappointment in the race was Phileas Fogg, who looked like he could be the speed of the field. But Joel Rosario said Franco aboard Mika was hell-bent on having the lead, so he was content to try and come from off the pace.
“They went fast, it looked like they were moving pretty good,” Rosario said. “I thought I was lying in a good spot, but they never come back.”
Bishops Bay will shortly head to Payson Park in South Florida, Cox said. A discussion will be had whether Bishops Bay trains up to the Feb. 14 Saudi Cup or perhaps preps in a race called the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 17.
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