Neko Bay notches first stakes win in San Pasqual

Neko Bay notches first stakes win in San Pasqual

Neko Bay is beginning to live up to his pedigree (Benoit Photo) Seven-year-old NEKO BAY (Giant’s Causeway) provided owners Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss and trainer John Shirreffs with another graded stakes winner in Southern California on Saturday, closing strongly down the middle of the track to capture the $150,000 San Pasqual H. (G2). Sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) two starts back and third in the Native Diver H. (G3) most recently, the homebred notched his first stakes score with a 1 3/4-length decision. With Mike Smith in the irons, Neko Bay rated about three lengths behind slow early fractions in :24 3/5, :49 2/5 and 1:13 2/5. The dark bay horse was given his cue approaching the top of the stretch and began to gain rapidly on the front runners, accelerating under left-handed urging to reach the lead inside the sixteenth pole. He drew off late to complete 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 4/5 over the Pro-Ride.

The 5-1 second choice paid $12.40, $6.20 and $4 while keying the $76.10 exacta
($1) with Spurrier (Dixieland Band), who rallied from far back at 25-1 to nip
Nownownow (Whywhywhy) by a nose on the wire. Place returned $14 and $6.80, and
Nownownow gave back $4.80 at 6-1. The trifecta ($1) totaled $549.20, and the
5-6-3-2 superfecta ($1) was $2,385.90. Bold Chieftain (Chief Seattle) finished a
neck back in fourth at 9-1 and was followed under the wire by Goldsville
(Successful Appeal), Cherokee Artist (Cherokee Run), and 3-5 favorite and
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Furthest Land (Smart Strike).

Neko Bay increased his career earnings to $323,020 with the $90,000 payday,
and his career line now reads 13-5-5-1. The lightly raced horse has never made
more than four starts in any of his previous four seasons of racings, and he’s
placed in a total of four stakes, including second in the 2007 Tokyo City Cup H.
(G3).

The Kentucky-bred is out of Grade 2 heroine Brulay (Rubiano), who counts as a
half-sibling 2000 champion older horse and sire Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo) as
well as Group 3 victor and Group 1 runner-up Statue of Liberty (Storm Cat). Brulay is
out of a daughter of Lassie Dear (Buckpasser), the dam of Broodmare of the Year Weekend
Surprise (Secretariat), who is responsible for 1992 Horse of the Year and
leading sire A.P. Indy as well as classic-winning sire Summer Squall (Storm Bird).

Other notables in this female family include European champion Duke of Marmalade
(Ire) (Danehill), multiple Grade 1 hero Court Vision (Gulch) and English
highweight Wolfhound (Nureyev). Neko Bay has a sophomore full brother named
Fordham Road.