Bishop's Pond notches first stakes win with Thirty Eight Go Go

It took 24 starts, but Bishop's Pond won the first stakes of her career at Laurel Park on Monday, controlling the pace of the one-mile Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes and then pulling away in the stretch to score by 5 1/2 lengths.

Bishop's Pond, a 6-year-old daughter of Curlin who races for Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables, had made 21 of her 23 prior starts on turf. Servis moved her to dirt at Delaware Park in September and she responded with a four-length victory in a no-conditions allowance race.

Following a fifth in the Grade 1 Beldame at Belmont Park, Servis switched her back to grass for the $150,000 Forever Together Stakes at Aqueduct and she finished fifth again. That race set her up for the Thirty Eight Go Go.

Bishop's Pond moved up to take the early lead, was rated on a short advantage, then powered home when asked to be clearly best under jockey Rosario Montanez.

The third betting choice in the nine-horse field of fillies and mares, Bishop's Pond paid $9. She set fractions of 23.76, 46.96, and 1:11.63 en route to a mile in 1:36.13.

Bishop's Pond is now 5 for 24 with earnings of $316,527.

"She broke out of there so nice," Montanez said. "I didn’t want the lead, but she made it so easily and relaxed so nice."

Sky Flower saved ground throughout while coming from well back to finish second at 15-1. Miss Inclusive finished third, three-quarters of a length farther back, at 20-1.

Tiz Rude stumbled at the start, pressed the early pace outside the winner, then flattened out and finished fourth.

Crimson Frost, the 2-1 favorite, trailed early, lodged a wide bid on the far turn and into the stretch and then faltered to finish sixth.

Street Surrender, the 3-1 second choice, raced forwardly outside horses to the upper stretch and tired to seventh.

Line of Best Fit stumbled a stride from the gate, unseating jockey Kevin Gomez.