Bishops Bay puts his Saudi Cup bid on the line in the always-demanding Cigar Mile

The Uncle Mo colt, recently acquired by KAS Stables, faces a pivotal test in Saturday’s GII at Aqueduct—one that will determine whether he books his ticket to Riyadh

Bishops Bay, when he sold for $1.3 million at the Keeneland November Sale / KEENELAND

SOUTH OZONE PARK, New York (Special to Turf Diario)—While the newly turned 2-year-olds begin sketching the first outlines of their campaigns toward next year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1), Bishops Bay is walking a very different—but equally demanding—path: earning a place in the richest race in the world.

The 5-year-old, recently acquired by KAS Stables for $1.3 million at Keeneland November, faces a contest with clear qualifying overtones this Saturday in the G2 Cigar Mile Handicap. Trainer Brad Cox sums it up bluntly: “If we want to seriously think about the Saudi Cup on Feb. 14, Bishops Bay needs a strong win and a rating to match. This race can give him that push.”

Bred by WinStar Farm, Bishops Bay brings a solid résumé: eight wins from 12 starts, three seconds, and only one true misfire—his sixth-place finish in the G1 Forego. His Nov. 2 score in the G3 Forty Niner, at this same one-mile trip at the Big A, ultimately convinced the Saudi group to purchase him and leave him under Cox’s care.

Perfect at Aqueduct (2-for-2) and also undefeated at the mile (3-for-3), he will break from post 7 in a compact but highly competitive field, sharing the 125-pound highweight with another horse arriving in top form: Phileas Fogg, from the Gustavo Rodríguez barn.

The son of Astern, cutting back to a mile after performing well at longer distances, exits a runner-up finish behind Locked (Gun Runner) in the G2 Woodward, having previously captured the G2 Suburban over 2000 meters.

“He’s doing very well,” Rodríguez said. “The mile may not be his absolute best distance, but he’s already won here. He’s fresh, and now it’s time to run.”

Taking the opposite route is Crazy Mason (Coal Front), stretching out to the mile after eight consecutive races between six and seven furlongs. Runner-up in the G3 Vosburgh and third in the G1 Forego, he will carry 124 pounds for trainer Gregory Sacco. In April, this same track saw him take the G2 Carter.

Also in the lineup is Doc Sullivan (Solomini), trained by John Ortiz, coming off a victory in the New York Stallion Series and fourth-place finishes in both the Vosburgh and the Forego.

The Cigar Mile—one of the toughest handicaps in the New York calendar—could become a decisive springboard for Bishops Bay. If he wins, or even if he delivers a performance of significant impact, his name will sit prominently among the candidates for a coveted invitation to the Saudi Cup, that summit everyone watches but only a select few reach.

For now, the first objective is clear: proving that he belongs in that conversation.