Star Over The Bay
Encyclopedia
Star Over The Bay was a Thoroughbred
racehorse who rose from the claimer ranks for $80,000. Once he began winning his races, he earned more than $700,000. Before that, he was raced over and over in claiming race
s, often in the money, but never in a stakes
event.
The light gray's career did not really get going until he was claimed
at Hollywood Park in early 2004 as a five-year-old. At that point, he began to be trained by Mike Mitchell. Mitchell found the speed and the talent in what had seemed an ordinary horse out of the claiming ranks. He quickly won three consecutive graded turf
races for Mitchell. He wired the field in the 2004 Grade II Sunset Handicap
.
Star Over The Bay's biggest win was the January, 2005 run of the Sunshine Millions Turf
at Santa Anita Park
under the Eclipse Award
winning jockey
, Tyler Baze
.
Star Over The Bay, at seven, seemed on his way to an important late-blooming successful career when he fractured his right foreleg (sesamoid). On May 15, 2005, he was near the front of the field at the half mile pole in the Grade I
US$1.8 million (SGD $3 million) Singapore Airlines International Cup
at Kranji Racecourse
. To avoid causing him more pain, he was humanely euthanized on the track.
Mitchell said: ""I saw Tyler pulling him up and didn't realize how bad it was until he came back crying. If I could have just brought him back and retired him, I would feel so much better." (Cal Racing, 12-7-07)
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse who rose from the claimer ranks for $80,000. Once he began winning his races, he earned more than $700,000. Before that, he was raced over and over in claiming race
Claiming race
A claiming race in thoroughbred horse racing is one in which the horses are all for sale for more or less the same price up until shortly before the race. Race types form a hierarchy in terms of the quality of horse they attract, with handicap races and graded stakes races attracting the "best"...
s, often in the money, but never in a stakes
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
event.
The light gray's career did not really get going until he was claimed
Claiming race
A claiming race in thoroughbred horse racing is one in which the horses are all for sale for more or less the same price up until shortly before the race. Race types form a hierarchy in terms of the quality of horse they attract, with handicap races and graded stakes races attracting the "best"...
at Hollywood Park in early 2004 as a five-year-old. At that point, he began to be trained by Mike Mitchell. Mitchell found the speed and the talent in what had seemed an ordinary horse out of the claiming ranks. He quickly won three consecutive graded turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
races for Mitchell. He wired the field in the 2004 Grade II Sunset Handicap
Sunset Handicap
The Sunset Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the third week of July at Hollywood Park Racetrack in inglewood, California. The Grade III event is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-half miles on turf....
.
Star Over The Bay's biggest win was the January, 2005 run of the Sunshine Millions Turf
Sunshine Millions Turf
The Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes is a race for thoroughbred horses held in January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California or at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida...
at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
under the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
winning jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
, Tyler Baze
Tyler Baze
Tyler Baze is an American Champion jockey. Born into a racing family, both of his parents were jockeys as is his uncle, Gary Baze. His second cousin is U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey, Russell Baze....
.
Star Over The Bay, at seven, seemed on his way to an important late-blooming successful career when he fractured his right foreleg (sesamoid). On May 15, 2005, he was near the front of the field at the half mile pole in the Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
US$1.8 million (SGD $3 million) Singapore Airlines International Cup
Singapore Airlines International Cup
The Singapore Airlines International Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Singapore which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Kranji over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
at Kranji Racecourse
Kranji Racecourse
The Singapore Racecourse is a venue for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Kranji area of Singapore. Built and operated by the Singapore Turf Club, it opened in 2000 as a modern replacement for the Bukit Timah Race Course....
. To avoid causing him more pain, he was humanely euthanized on the track.
Mitchell said: ""I saw Tyler pulling him up and didn't realize how bad it was until he came back crying. If I could have just brought him back and retired him, I would feel so much better." (Cal Racing, 12-7-07)