Two-year-old filly Biscayne Bay (Sebring) was a double-odds option in the juvenile fillies’ race at Sandown on Wednesday, but she accounted for the 16-horse field with relative ease under jockey Mark Zahra.
Trained by the Dabernig/Hayes partnership at Lindsay Park, the filly raced most of the 1300 metres at the back of the pack, yet exploded in the straight to overhaul all comers by 2l. Second home was Charity Spirit (Cable Bay {Ire}) ahead of Divina Calle (Street Boss {USA}).
Biscayne Bay headed into the race with only one lifetime start, a fifth at Murray Bridge in the Magic Millions South Australia 2YO Classic in late February. Wednesday’s race was only her second outing, and it occurred on a Soft 6 in arguably less company.
“Sebring on the wet is usually a pretty good formula,” said Dara O’Meachair, trackside stable rep for Lindsay Park. “It looked like she’d improved quite a bit at home from her run in Adelaide, so it was good to see her take it to the races today.”
Scorched at Adelaide
The filly’s Adelaide debut in February was behind a very good winner in Scorched Earth (Nicconi), and O’Meachair said Biscayne Bay stripped better on Wednesday for that experience.
“The trip over there really brought her on, and she raced behind a very, very impressive winner that day,” he said. “She hit the line quite well, got held up at the top of the straight and finished off nicely, and she improved quite a bit from it.”
O’Meachair said the stable was undecided about the filly’s options, but he added that she possessed a good constitution and might race again this season.
“It looks like she will get a bit further and she has a bit of class,” he said. “Whether they wait and give her a little ease up is a possibility, but we’ll leave that up to Tom and Ben.”
“It looks like she (Biscayne Bay) will get a bit further and she has a bit of class." - Dara O’Meachair
Biscayne Bay gave Mark Zahra his second win of the afternoon, and the jockey was impressed by the effort.
“Being by Sebring, she didn’t mind a little jar out of the track,” he said. “She got beaten about 8l at Murray Bridge, but I think Scorched Earth won by about 7l, so it wasn’t too bad an effort. I had to leave her alone today and give her plenty of room. When I went for her, she really quickened up well.”
The final race-time of 1:20.36 was almost two seconds outside of standard time, with Zahra pointing out that any horse, at this time of year, able to handle a Soft 7 would do well.
Cream rises to the top
The race had a number of notable yearling graduates among it, including Bantamweight (Teofilo {Ire}), a NZ$220,000 New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Sale purchase for Michael Hickmott Bloodstock. There was also Charity Spirit, whom Blue Gum Farm sold at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale to Hall Of Fame Bloodstock for $160,000.
Biscayne Bay as a yearling
However, Biscayne Bay was far and away the best of the yearlings in the race, a 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate from Widden Stud. She sold to Sun Bloodstock, in whose colours she races, for $410,000.
It’s a very useful family.
From Fratianne (Lonhro), Biscayne Bay is a half-sister to Tenley (Medaglio D’Oro {USA}), who won the G2 Reisling S. in 2016. The filly was the fifth foal from the mare, with second-dam Dubai Ice (Danehill {USA}) a full sister to Skates, the dam of Vancouver, Juste Moment (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) and Captain Coltish (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}).
Further down the page there’s stakes winners Murtajill, Sunset Run (End Sweep {USA}) and Bradbury’s Luck.
Biscayne Bay has a weanling half-sister by Trapeze Artist on the ground at Widden, and she missed to Zoustar this season.
