An emotional victory for Eastern Bay in the General George (Jim McCue)
Maryland Jockey Club Press Release
LAUREL, Md.— Built Wright Stables’ millionaire Eastern Bay, emotional winner of the General George (G3) Feb. 18, returns to Laurel Park chasing his 20th career victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Not For Love, a six-furlong sprint restricted to older Maryland-bred/sired horses.
The 9-year-old Eastern Bay had run second in each of his first three graded-stakes attempts – the 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) at Laurel and 2022 Vosburgh (G2) and Bold Ruler (G3) at Aqueduct – before breaking through in the General George, his first race in 3 ½ months. The win came on a day honoring late jockey Avery Whisman, who rode Eastern Bay to three wins in 2019-20.
Eastern Bay came back to be fourth by two lengths, two necks out of second, in the six-furlong Tom Fool (G3) March 4 at Aqueduct. Overall, he has won 19 of 54 starts, including 15 of 41 at Laurel. He finished off the board in the 2018 and 2019 Not For Love for prior connections.
“He was two lengths out of it last time and coming. We felt like he still ran very big,” owner-trainer Norman ‘Lynn’ Cash said. “We’re so proud of him. The race before, with the whole emotional weekend, I’ve never seen him up so close that early. He just had so much energy. He’s like, ‘All right I’m racing again, here we go!’ He was just running like crazy.
“He’s just a great horse,” he added. “He’s probably running the best of his career right now, which is pretty amazing considering where he’s been and the fact that he’s 9 years old.”
William Humphrey, who earned his first graded victory in the seven-furlong General George, returns to ride from Post 5 in a field of 10.
Bender winner Alwaysinahurry, fourth in a one-mile allowance Feb. 12, returns in the Not For Love and is joined by fellow stakes winners Kenny Had a Notion and Karan’s Notion and stakes-placed Coastal Mission, Backnthewoods and Breezy Gust.
C J I Phoenix Group and No Guts No Glory Farm’s Al Loves Josie, third in the Star de Naskra and City of Laurel in 2022, chases his third straight victory and first in a stakes in the Not For Love. The 4-year-old gelding, beaten by stablemate Alottahope in the Star de Naskra and Robert Hilton Memorial, has won back-to-back allowance sprints at Laurel, each by 3 ½ lengths.
“He’s a colt that has jumped up and done very well. He’s really come around the last two or three races,” trainer and co-owner Jerry Robb said. “He was always chasing the other horse I had and now he’s replaced him. He’s missed a little bit of training between races because we’ve had a lot of sick horses in and out of Laurel. I didn’t get to breeze him like I would but he seems to be doing fine now.”
A son of Mr. Prospector, the late Not For Love was named Maryland’s champion stallion a record 13 times and was the first stallion in Maryland history to surpass $6 million in progeny earnings in a single year (2008). As a broodmare sire, he is represented by two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome. He died at age 26 in 2016.
