Beyond Brilliant will challenge older horses to catch him in turf stakes next year

Beyond Brilliant, who won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar last Saturday, reminded trainer John Shirreffs and jockey Kent Desormeaux of his preferred running style in a workout earlier this year. Working in company with a stablemate, Beyond Brilliant wanted to be alone.

“Kent worked him and we tried to go with another horse,” Shirreffs recalled last Sunday. “Kent said he was pulling his arms out until he got a length in front of the other horse and then he relaxed.”

Beyond Brilliant led throughout an allowance race on turf at Del Mar in September, the first time Desormeaux was aboard the colt. In the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Oct. 31, Beyond Brilliant stalked the pace and was second in the stretch before finishing third.

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“He ran well in the Twilight Derby in some adverse conditions,” Shirreffs said. “He loomed up at the quarter pole.

“He didn’t relax. It didn’t go his way.”

In the month between the Twilight Derby and the Hollywood Derby, Shirreffs knew Beyond Brilliant’s best chance would be from the front.

“We made sure we took enough time with him with a little longer gallops,” he said.

Owned by Lee and Susan Searing, Beyond Brilliant led shortly after the start of the Hollywood Derby and held off a determined kick by Santin to win by a neck.

Beyond Brilliant will face older horses in longer turf races in 2022.

“I wouldn’t think a distance would make much of a difference with him,” Shirreffs said.

One potential rival is Say the Word, who won the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 26 for his second stakes win of the year. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Say the Word is likely to start in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita on Jan. 30, D’Amato said.