Stayers' Watch: San Juan Capistrano Handicap · 19.04.10

Bourbon Bay continues to dominate the turf stayers’ ranks so far in 2010. On Sunday he won the San Juan Capistrano Handicap (gr. IIT), the traditional finale of Santa Anita’s winter/spring meet. Winning the 1 3/4 mile test by a half-length over the late-closing Unusual Suspect, Bourbon Bay became only the third horse — and the first since “Unofficial Champion Stayer” Kotashaan in 1993 — to sweep Santa Anita’s turf stayers’ series. The 4-year-old colt had previously won the San Luis Obispo and San Luis Rey handicaps.

Bourbon Bay stalked the early pace, as Stalingrad went rank and ran off to a big lead, completing the first six furlongs in a 1:10.08. He eventually settled into fourth, behind the Stalingrad, Tap It Light and Muhannak. Stalingrad tired as the field took the final turn, having gone the mile in 1:36.06 and 10 furlongs in 2:01.33. Tap It Light inherited the lead briefly, but Bourbon Bay quickly made up ground on the turn, and with Skellytown to his inside took over at the top of the stretch. The two of them fought back-and-forth into deep stretch. Bourbon Bay eventually wore down his challenger and began pulling away, but then had to dig down and show a lot of grit to hold off Unusual Suspect at the wire. Skellytown hung on for third. Time on the firm turf course: 2:44.52.

His display of stamina and grit in the San Juan Capistrano has earned Bourbon Bay his own Thoroughbred Champions discussion thread.

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What do you think?

  1. This is good for racing to the diminishing crowd of us who understand that stamina is going the way of other extinct things. I saw Kotashaan run in the Breeder’s Cup Turf: beautiful dark horse..

    — Dr. T. Yatcak · Apr 22, 12:19 PM · #

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