Beautiful Shot sticks with what got him here in Bob Hope Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – The 2-year-old stakes winner Beautiful Shot is probably destined for a career as a late-running sprinter. He will be given a chance to prove otherwise one of these days, but not this Saturday.

In his stakes debut, Beautiful Shot closed from fourth to win the six-furlong Speakeasy Stakes on Oct. 15 at Santa Anita. On Saturday, Beautiful Shot returns in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar.

The distance of the $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes is an ideal fit for Beautiful Shot from trainer Keith Desormeaux’s perspective.

“I have no doubt about seven furlongs, especially with his running style,” he said earlier this week. “He looks like he’s built more for speed, but he’s very efficient.”

Still, the question remains as to what distance will best suit Beautiful Shot, who is by Trappe Shot.

“He’ll get his chance at two turns,” Desormeaux said.

Owned by Calumet Farm, Beautiful Shot will face a class test in the Bob Hope. The projected field is led by Run Away, who has won stakes at Del Mar, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita. Run Away won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar in August, and was third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 4, his only loss in five starts.

Run Away won the Barretts Juvenile on Sept. 23 at Los Alamitos.

Desormeaux ran one horse in the Breeders’ Cup last Friday and Saturday at Del Mar – My Boy Jack, who finished seventh in the Juvenile Turf, beaten three lengths by winner Mendelssohn.

My Boy Jack won the Zuma Beach Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in October, his only win in a six-race career. Desormeaux said My Boy Jack will eventually return to dirt. My Boy Jack was sixth on dirt in his debut and made his next five starts on turf.

“His turf career came from the fact that the turf races were the first ones offered at a distance,” Desormeaux said. “I didn’t necessarily think he’s a turf horse.”