Prove Right Back a Week Later, Sets Sights on Bay Shore

Prove Right , a 9 1/4-length winner March 31 at Laurel Park, will return on short rest for the April 8 $200,000 Bay Shore Stakes (G3), a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Justify   bay, trained and co-owned by Jim Chapman with Stuart Tsujimoto, is a last-minute stand in for undefeated stablemate Drew's Gold , who exited the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes Feb. 11 with a virus and has yet to breeze back.

"I won't rush him into Saturday's race. He got sick and needed the time. He'll work Friday or Saturday," said Chapman, noting that Drew's Gold could target a pair of starts at Belmont Park with the six-furlong $150,000 Gold Fever Stakes May 12 serving as a bridge to the seven-furlong $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) June 10.

Prove Right, who boasts a record of 3-2-2 from 14 starts for field-best purse earnings of $211,870, has raced at distances ranging from four furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. He was a rallying second under Ricardo Santana, Jr. Oct. 8 at Keeneland after exiting the inside post in a six-furlong optional-claiming sprint ahead of a pacesetting third under Jose Ortiz from post 4-of-5 in the one-turn mile Nashua Stakes (G3) one month later at the Big A.

Winning Move Stable's Joey Freshwater  boasts a perfect in-the-money record of 1-1-1 in three starts since being haltered by trainer Linda Rice for $50,000 out of a winning effort at second asking over a sloppy and sealed main track Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs.

Joey Freshwater won his first start for his current connections on New Year's Day at Aqueduct in a six-furlong optional claimer over muddy and sealed going with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons. He followed with a good third in the six-furlong Jimmy Winkfield, closing to finish less than a length back of runner-up Clubhouse  in a tilt won by the aforementioned Drew's Gold.

Last out, Joey Freshwater took on older company in a six-furlong allowance when second, by a neck, to graded stakes-placed Surprise Boss  with stablemate Majority Partner  a head back in third. There, Joey Freshwater broke outward under Jose Lezcano before tracking in fifth position through a swift quarter-mile in :22.70 seconds over the fast main track. He advanced to third by the stretch call and rallied widest of the trio of contenders to narrowly miss in a final time of 1:12.82.

Pam and Martin Wygod's Kentucky homebred Victory Way  will jump into stakes company out of an impressive debut score March 4 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The City of Light   bay is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Sweet Way—a half-sister to multiple grade 1 winner Sweet Catomine , winner of the 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and champion 2-year-old filly; and multiple grade 1 winner Life Is Sweet , who won the 2009 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1).

Victory Way exited post 1-of-7 on debut traveling seven furlongs over a muddy and sealed main track. He tracked in fourth position under returning rider Jose Lezcano before taking command at the top of the lane en route to a 2 1/4-length score.

Gilmore  cuts back to one turn as he makes his New York debut for trainer Brendan Walsh and owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.

The Twirling Candy   colt made his first three starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, graduating around two turns in a one-mile maiden special weight in December at Los Alamitos Race Course. He followed with a pair of synthetic starts, finishing second in the nine-furlong El Camino Real Derby in February at Golden Gate Fields before transferring to Walsh and running sixth in the 1 1/16-mile John Battaglia Memorial Stakes March 4 at Turfway Park.

Rounding out the field are the stakes-placed Daydreaming Boy  for conditioner Louis Linder, Jr., and maiden winners Expected Value  for conditioner Chad Brown and Arrebato  for trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul.

Entries: Bay Shore S. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, April 08, 2023, Race 6

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo
• 3:09 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Arrebato (KY)	Jose Antonio Gomez	118	Naipaul Chatterpaul	30/1
2	2Gilmore (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Brendan P. Walsh	7/2
3	3Victory Way (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	William I. Mott	5/2
4	4Daydreaming Boy (KY)	Dexter Haddock	118	Louis C. Linder, Jr.	8/1
5	5Joey Freshwater (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Linda Rice	2/1
6	6Expected Value (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Chad C. Brown	6/1
7	7Prove Right (KY)	Jeiron Barbosa	120	James K. Chapman	6/1