Beautiful Shot Closes Late to Take Speakeasy Stakes

Only two races into his career, Calumet Farm's Beautiful Shot is making a habit of taking down highly regarded and expensive Bob Baffert- trained favorites.

In his first start Aug. 27 at Del Mar, the Trappe Shot  colt trained by Keith Desormeaux rallied on the rail to nose out 1-2 favorite Nero, a $950,000 yearling purchase.

On Oct. 15 in the $70,000 Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita Park,  it was 1-5 Mourinho, a $625,000 2-year-old purchase, who had the lead late with Beautiful Shot looming. This time, however, a drive to the line wasn't necessary. Jockey Kent Desormeaux had his target measured in the final furlong and cruised to the wire late to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

Six lengths back through a half-mile in the six-furlong dirt test, behind blazing fractions of :21.32 and :44.55, Beautiful Shot mounted his rally on the outside, but still had three lengths to make up with a furlong to run. The pace—which he contested three-wide—took a toll on Mourinho late, and Beautiful Shot breezed by to hit the wire in 1:10.82.

"With most racing on any level, it's all about pace," said Keith Desormeaux. "I don't know what kind of horse, especially a 2-year-old, that can maintain a :44 pace. Kent won the race by judging the pace properly and that's why he's in the Hall of Fame."

Mourinho finished two lengths clear of Here Is Happy, who was followed by Show It N Moe It, Soul of Discretion, and Candy Crew, to complete the order of finish.

Bred in Florida by Southern Chase Farm, Karen Dodd, and Gregg Dodd, out of the City Place mare Beauty for Ashes, Beautiful Shot now has $79,080 in earnings from his two victories. He was a $105,000 purchase by Calumet out of the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales spring sale of 2-year-olds in training.