Neko Bay notches first stakes win in San Pasqual

Neko Bay notches first stakes win in San Pasqual

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.