In a ground-saving trip on the rail, Gary Broad’s BUZZARDS BAY (Marco Bay)
made easy work of his rivals in Saturday’s $500,000
Oaklawn H. (G2). Taken to
the early lead by jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr., the four-year-old chestnut made his
trip seem effortless en route to a 6 1/2-length win, stopping the timer in 1:48
1/5 over a fast track for the 1 1/8-mile event.
Buzzards Bay set an energetic pace, clocking fractions of :22 4/5, :46 3/5,
1:10 4/5 and 1:35 2/5, and had opened up a five-length margin coming into the
stretch. The Ron Ellis charge finished up much the best, well clear of runner-up
Magnum (Arg) (El Compinche), paying $6.60, $4.20 and $3.60 for
the win at 2-1 while leading a $23.20 exacta.
Magnum rated in near last for the majority of the trip, but gained ground late
to earn the place a length ahead of Gouldings Green (Charismatic) in third.
Second-place returned $3.20 and $2.80 for the 2-1 favorite while the show gave
back $6.20 at 23-1 while completing the $112.60 trifecta ($1). Master Command (A.P.
Indy) crossed under the wire another 1 3/4 lengths farther back to finish off a
1-3-4-7 superfecta which paid $777.50 for $1. With Distinction (Storm Cat), It’s
No Joke (Distorted Humor), Purim (Dynaformer) and Andromeda’s Hero (Fusaichi
Pegasus) completed the order of finish.
Bred in Florida by Jay Shaw, Buzzards Bay is out of the unraced Seneca Jones
mare Lifes Lass. He also counts scores in the 2005 Santa Anita Derby (G1) and
Golden Gate Derby as well as a win in the All American H. (G3) earlier this
year on his resume. With this victory, Buzzards Bay improves his line to
15-5-1-3 and became racing’s newest millionaire with $1,116,971 in career
earnings.
Buzzards Bay RNA’d for $20,000 as a yearling in 2003 at the Ocala Breeders’
Sales Company’s August Yearling Sale. The next year he RNA’d again for $6,000 at
the OBS April Two-Year-Old in Training Sale and RNA’d for $20,000 at the OBS
June Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age. After his
success as a three-year-old early last year, Buzzards Bay sold at the end of the
first session of the Fasig-Tipton July Yearling Sale for $725,000.