Bishops Bay is 4 for 4 at one mile, 3 for 3 at Aqueduct, and 6 for 6 when he’s ridden by Flavien Prat. Sunday, Bishops Bay will run in the Grade 3 $175,000 Westchester Stakes, a one-mile race at Aqueduct with Flavien Prat in the saddle. Like his chances? Bishops Bay scored his first graded stakes victory in last spring’s Westchester. In the fall, he added wins in the Grade 3 Forty Niner and Grade 2 Cigar Mile, all one-turn mile races at Aqueduct. In the Cigar Mile, Bishops Bay earned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure. Because of his effectiveness in races run around one turn, Bishops Bay was sent to the $20 million Saudi Cup at 1 1/8 miles where he was in contention until the final furlong. Bishops Bay finished fourth, beaten 5 3/4 lengths by Forever Young. The $1.5 million he earned covered the $1.3 million that King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Sons’s KAS Stables paid for him at a horses of racing age sale last November. Brad Cox, who trained Bishops Bay for his previous owners – Spendthrift Farm et al. – and has kept the horse for KAS, thought Bishops Bay ran as well as he could in the Saudi Cup. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “I thought it was a great run,” Cox said. “He probably tops out at a mile and an eighth. I thought he’d like the one turn and he did, he just wasn’t quite good enough.” Cox said the Westchester seemed a good spot to kick off the rest of Bishops Bay’s 6-year-old campaign, one in which he hopes to win a Grade 1 stakes. Cox said he will keep the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 6 at Saratoga in mind, pending the race’s degree of difficulty. Bishops Bay will face only four horses in the Westchester. His opponents include Grade 1 winner Antiquarian, multiple stakes winner Rated by Merit, the in-form Pentathlon, and Quint’s Brew, last year’s Westchester runner-up. Antiquarian, who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles last fall, is making his first start since he finished eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November. Eight of his 10 starts have been in races run around two turns, but he did win a seven-furlong allowance at Gulfstream Park in April 2025 and finished second in his lone start at a mile, his career debut. “He’s at his best going a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter, but he’s run okay going a mile before and thought this would be a good place to get his season underway,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. John Velazquez rides from post 3. Rated by Merit won his first five career starts, including the Discovery going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct last October. Rated by Merit was a forward presence in all of those races. In his seasonal debut, the Grade 2 Carter at seven furlongs, Rated by Merit stalked from third and ultimately backed up to fourth behind Point Dume. “He got in behind horses, he’s got that funny head carriage, he’s always cocked his head way out,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I think that horse needs to be more forward in his races, it gives him a chance to run straighter when he’s more forward. One way to get him more forward is to stretch him out a bit more.” Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Rated by Merit for the first time from post 5. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  Quint’s Brew, trained by Ned Allard, has won three of his last five starts, including the Frank Whiteley Stakes on April 4 by 5 3/4 lengths. He earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. Pentathlon, trained by Shug McGaughey, has won three of his last four starts, including the Army Mule Stakes going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park. His lone loss since last fall came when he finished fifth in the Cigar Mile. The Westchester goes as race 7 on a 12-race card that begins at 1:10 p.m. and includes the Grade 3 Beaugay for females on turf; the Grade 3 Vagrancy, a dirt sprint for females; and the License Fee, a turf sprint for males. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.