Tamarando, California Bay’s G1-winning half-brother (Benoit Photo)
Santa Anita Stable Notes by Victor Ryan
ARCADIA, Calif.— Tamarack Bay was a hard-knocking mare in the early 2000s who was Grade III-placed and banked $218,965 for owners-breeders Larry and Marianne Williams.
While that was certainly a productive racing career, what has made Tamarack Bay truly special for the Williamses has been her subsequent work in the breeding shed. From 10 foals to race, Tamarack Bay has produced no fewer than nine winners with four of those being stakes winners.
On Friday, Tamarack Bay’s latest foal bred and campaigned by the Williamses—the 3-year-old gelding California Bay—will debut in a state-bred maiden race going six furlongs on turf for trainer Jeff Mullins. By newly minted Hall of Famer California Chrome, California Bay is a 10-1 longshot on Jon White’s morning line.
California Bay has worked seven times since March 3 at Santa Anita for her debut, which includes a half-mile move in 47.60 seconds on Monday. Her half-siblings include Tamarando, who won the GI Del Mar Futurity in 2013 and GIII El Camino Real Derby the following year on his way to $722,652 in earnings; Ward ‘n Jerry, a graded stakes winner with $496,985 in earnings; and Luckarack, a multiple stakes winner who made 75 starts from 2010-2018. Luckarack, who won a pair of black-type stakes on the California fair circuit as a 2-year-old in 2010, finished with $634,552 in earnings.
California Bay debuts in Friday’s fifth race. Post time is scheduled for 3 p.m.
