Eastern Bay upsets General George, gives Humphrey first stakes win
A 112-day layoff isn’t the typical modus operandi for trainer Norman “Lynn” Cash, but the forced time away from the races may have helped Eastern Bay record the biggest win of the 9-year-old gelding’s career Saturday at Laurel Park.
Sitting an up close third under jockey William Humphrey, Eastern Bay rolled past stablemate Pirate Rick at the head of the stretch and held the late-running Yodel E. A. Who at bay to win the Grade 3, $250,000 General George Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.
Yodel E. A. Who finished second by three-quarters of a length over Beren. Factor It In, the 6-5 favorite, finished fourth, followed by Sir Alfred James, Pirate Rick, John the Bear, and Momos.
The victory was the first stakes for win of any kind for Humphrey, who only began riding in 2021 and lost his apprenticeship last December. It was an emotional victory for Humphrey because it came on a day when Laurel Park and other tracks around the country marked the death of jockey Avery Whisman last month at the age of 23 with a moment of silence. Whisman had recorded three wins on Eastern Bay earlier in his career, the most wins he had on any horse. In a ceremony earlier on the card, Whisman’s parents were presented a saddle towel that had Eastern Bay’s name and the No. 1 on it.
“I feel very emotional for Avery, obviously this was his favorite horse, this was his most winning horse, and I’m in exactly the same position,” Humphrey said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel. Eastern Bay “means the world to me, and it’s a dream come true. It’s like the stars aligned today.”
“What a perfect end of the day,” said Cash, who also owns Eastern Bay under the name Built Wright Stables. “It seemed like the day should end that way.”
Cash typically likes to run his horses back on short rest. He claimed Eastern Bay last April for $35,000 and raced him nine times from April 29 through Oct. 29. In his most recent race, the Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Aqueduct, Eastern Bay was beaten a nose by Runninsonofagun. Eastern Bay was determined to have run down, or burned, his hind heels in the race. That prompted New York Racing Association veterinarians to put him on the vet’s list, which means he would have to work in front a licensed vet to be permitted to make his next start.
Eastern Bay twice failed to satisfy Maryland veterinarians who wouldn’t remove him from the vet’s list until recently.
“He’s been ready to run for 2 1/2 months, I just couldn’t get him off the vet’s list” Cash said. “He was pumped and primed. What a performance.”
The layoff may have prompted a fresh Eastern Bay to get involved early in the General George. After an opening quarter in 23.03 seconds, he was third, just 2 1/2 lengths off of stalemate Pirate Rick. Eastern Bay moved into second entering the far turn and took over from Pirate Rick by the quarter pole. Under mostly a vigorous hand ride, Eastern Bay had more than enough to hold Yodel E. A. Who at bay.
“He broke a lot sharper than I was expecting,” Humphrey said. “He was traveling so comfortably I know he’s a strong stayer and when he gets his head in front he’s not gonna let anyone pass him, so I was happy to kick on as we turned into in the stretch and there was no looking back.”
Eastern Bay, a 9-year-old gelding by E Dubai, won for the 19th time in 53 starts and surpassed the $1 million mark in career earnings. He covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.29 and returned $17.40 to win.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that close, I don’t think he ever broke that sharp,” Cash said. “If he gets the lead in the lane you typically don’t worry about things.”
The win was the second in a graded stakes for Cash, who last October won the Grade 2 Kelso at Aqueduct with Double Crown at odds of 42-1. Double Crown finished sixth in the John B. Campbell Stakes, one of seven starters who failed to win for Cash earlier on Saturday’s card.
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