Course Lover Bourbon Bay Wins San Marcos

Bourbon Bay took on 8-to-5 favorite Champ Pegasus in midstretch and quickly drew away to a clear 1 3/4-length victory in the $150,000 San Marcos Stakes (G2) on Monday at Santa Anita Park.

The five-year-old Sligo Bay (Ire) horse avenged a loss to Champ Pegasus in his previous start, finishing third behind Champ Pegasus in the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship Stakes (G1) on October 3 during the Oak Tree meeting at Hollywood Park.

Bourbon Bay boosted his career record on Santa Anita’s turf course to a perfect five for five. He looked strong as he charged powerfully past Champ Pegasus in the lane, a far cry from the horse trainer Neil Drysdale was nursing in the weeks after the Clement Hirsch.

“After the mile-and-a-quarter race [Clement Hirsch], he became sick,” Drysdale said after Bourbon Bay covered 1 ¼ miles in 2:00.03 on firm turf. “We don’t know why or what made him ill, but it took him quite a long time to recover. So that’s where he’s been.”