Lewis Bay draws off to win Bed o' Roses

ELMONT, N.Y. – Lewis Bay joined the millionaires’ club with a victory Friday at Belmont Park in the Grade 3, $240,000 Bed o’ Roses, but the club trainer Chad Brown still wants her to join is that of a Grade 1 winner, and the focal point will return to that for the rest of the year.

Lewis Bay, 5, has raced with the best in her division since her 2-year-old year, and though she’s finished in the money in such prestigious races as the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose, a Grade 1 win has been elusive. She just missed in the Grade 1 Madison earlier this year at Keeneland, and to move her along toward major goals this summer, the Bed o’ Roses served its purpose.

With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, Lewis Bay broke sharply and took up a position just outside of Divine Miss Grey after the favorite, American Gal, broke poorly in the seven-furlong race. Lewis Bay surged to the front coming into the lane and cruised home 5 1/2 lengths best over Highway Star.

Cairenn was 1 1/4 lengths farther back in third, then came Divine Miss Grey and American Gal, who finished last of five as the odds-on favorite. Chalon, Ivy Bell, and Union Strike were scratched.

“She broke bad, and that was it,” said Jose Ortiz, who rode American Gal. “She wasn’t herself today. Any other time behind horses, she would have gotten rank. After the quarter pole, I knew she wasn’t going anywhere.”

Lewis Bay ($8.20) covered seven furlongs on the fast main track in 1:21.11. The win was her sixth in 15 career starts, and she now owns three wins and two seconds in five starts at Belmont Park. She earned $137,500 to bring her career bankroll to more than $1.1 million.

In her previous race, Lewis Bay was third in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs five weeks ago.

“She came out of the race with a quarter crack in her right front foot,” said Brown. “It was a legitimate injury, took a while to get it together.”

Brown said farrier Ian McKinlay “did a fabulous job,” and that after two recent works at Belmont Park, Lewis Bay was set to go.

This was the fifth race for Lewis Bay since she returned from a layoff of more than a year last December. Brown said she was off that long owing to a series of unfortunate events.

“She had a minor injury, went to the farm, and then had other issues at the farm. Got hurt in the paddock, got sick,” Brown said. “It was one thing after another.”

She will remain around one turn. Brown, who trains Lewis Bay for Alpha Delta Stable, said the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga likely was next, with the main goal the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga.