Beautiful Shot rallies to win Speakeasy Stakes, remain undefeated

ARCADIA, Calif. – A recent maiden-race winner won Sunday’s $73,405 Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters at Santa Anita in his second career start. The winner was not the colt bettors expected.

Beautiful Shot ($10) closed from fifth in a field of six to beat 3-10 favorite Mourinho by a comfortable 1 1/4 lengths. Winning trainer Keith Desormeaux credited his brother, Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, for riding a patient race in pursuit of Mourinho, who was part of a rapid speed duel.

“As with most races, on any level, it’s all about pace,” Desormeaux said. “Kent won the race by judging pace properly. That’s why he’s in the Hall of Fame.”

Mourinho disputed the pace with Show It N Moe It through fractions of 21.32 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.55 for a half-mile. Mourinho led by three lengths in the stretch, but the advantage was diminishing with a sixteenth of a mile remaining.

Beautiful Shot, who trailed by five lengths with a quarter-mile remaining, closed rapidly on the outside of Mourinho. Beautiful Shot took the lead in the final 50 yards and ran six furlongs in 1:10.82.

Mourinho, who beat maidens by 4 1/2 lengths in his debut Sept. 30, finished two lengths in front of 18-1 Here is Happy, who was fifth in the Barretts Juvenile at Los Alamitos on Sept. 23.

Show It N Moe It was fourth, followed by Soul of Discretion and Candy Crew.

Beautiful Shot was bumped at the start of his maiden win but was better at the gate in the Speakeasy Stakes. The colt was schooled repeatedly in the gate through September.

“We did a lot of work in the gate,” said Keith Desormeaux. “We took him over there twice a week every week. He finally figured it out last Saturday.”

Beautiful Shot has earned $79,080 for his two wins. Owned by Calumet Farm, Beautiful Shot is by Trappe Shot and was purchased for $105,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. auction of 2-year-olds in training in April.

Desormeaux said he will target the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 11 with Beautiful Shot.