Bullsbay finds room on rail at Laurel

Bullsbay, the beaten favorite in last month's John Campbell Handicap, made amends by scoring a three-quarter length victory in the $50,000 Harrison Johnson Memorial Handicap on Saturday at Laurel Park.

It was the second consecutive win in the Johnson for trainer Graham Motion, who won last year's running with Arcata.

Bullsbay ($6.60), the favorite in a field reduced to seven older horses by four scratches, rallied under jockey Jeremy Rose along the rail to overtake Senior, the longest shot on the board at 15-1. Admiral's Cruise, who broke slowly, finished third, two lengths behind Senior.

It was the first win in four starts this season for the 5-year-old Bullsbay. He had finished second in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope at Gulfstream Park in early January and was eased in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap before finishing second at 4-5 in the Campbell.

Racing for the first time in his 14-race career over a sloppy track, Bullsbay covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.33.