Bishops Bay Holds On to Win Forty Niner Stakes

Bishops Bay got back to his winning ways Nov. 2 in the $175,000 Forty Niner Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack, prevailing by 3/4 of a length over Nelson Avenue. His win in the race secured him an automatic fees-waived berth into the $500,000 Cigar Mile (G2) Dec. 6. Bishops Bay broke alertly, tracking the pacesetter Light the Way through fractions of :23.56, :46.57, 1:10.75 under Flavien Prat and put his nose in front coming down the stretch to win the one-mile race in a final time of 1:35.31. "Good trip. He broke well. He put me in a good spot," Prat said. "He is just a game horse, a very game horse. He fought back. He is a very competitive horse. Every time there is a horse that comes alongside of him, he'll try to do his best. He will fight back." A multiple graded stakes winner, the son of Uncle Mo relished in the class relief after most recently finishing sixth behind Book'em Danno in the Forego Stakes (G1). Prior to that, he won back-to-back grade 3 races for trainer Brad Cox. "He's a very honest horse," said Dustin Dugas, assistant to Brad Cox. "Flavien knows him well. His last race was a tall order for him, but he bounced back out of it in good order and was training really good into this race. He waits on horses but it's never in a negative way—it's measured. A lot of his races aren't drawing off. He had that one race at Monmouth (Salvator Mile) where he won big, but usually his wins are very measured." Bishops Bay paid $3.16 on a $2 win bet, and improved his career earnings to $702,800. Damon's Mound Wins Bold Ruler Damon's Mound snapped his losing streak Sunday when winning the $175,000 Bold Ruler Stakes (G3) for Cliff and Michele Love. The Florida-bred son of Girvin won by a 1/2 length over Buccherino. Full Moon Madness was third. The Bill Mott-trainee stalked the pace-setting Buccherino and Bouncer through splits of :22.32, :45.38, and :57.25. The leaders were four-wide coming into the top of the stretch with Damon's Mound ready to pounce, wearing down the front runners in a final time of 1:09.67 for the 6-furlong race under Junior Alvarado. "Sometimes in six furlong races it's better to just give them a good trip," said Alvarado of his five-wide bid in the lane. "You might miss a bit of saving ground and when it's two turns, it's crucial to save ground, but sprinting, as long as you put them in a good spot and have a good, clear run, that's best. We stayed out there and when I felt it was time to go, I asked him, and he went on for me." Damon's Mound earned his third graded stakes victory, with his previous ones coming in the 2022 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) and the 2023 Gallant Bob Stakes (G2). Sunday's win increased his bankroll to $877,970. He paid $9 to win. Jockey Jose Lezcano said the Alfredo Velazquez-trained Buccherino was game in defeat. "He broke a little step behind, but he recovered very quick and gave me a very good race," Lezcano said. "The winner came running but I can't take anything away from horse—he fought right to the wire." Grade 1 winner Nutella Fella finished fifth.