Hong Kong Harry, Beyond Brilliant looking at higher goals for 2023

DEL MAR, Calif. - Phil D’Amato and John Shirreffs had remarkably similar reactions on Sunday morning to the manner in which their horses ran in Saturday’s Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar.

Both were left with highly favorable impressions of performances by race winner Hong Kong Harry, trained by D’Amato, and second-place finisher Beyond Brilliant, trained by Shirreffs.

Hong Kong Harry won his third stakes of the year in the $251,500 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles, closing from fifth in a field of eight to win by a neck over Beyond Brilliant.

The win left D’Amato hopeful that Hong Kong Harry can develop into a candidate for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Mile, which will be run at Santa Anita in November. Grade 1 turf races at Santa Anita such as the Frank Kilroe Mile on March 4 and the Shoemaker Mile on May 29 are goals in the first half of the year. Both races are worth $500,000.

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Hong Kong Harry is unlikely to race in coming months.

“I want to point him for the Kilroe and Shoemaker, so we’ll see if we can’t give him a little bit of a break,” D’Amato said. “He’s one of those horses that has the will to win.”

Owned by the partnership of Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegawa and Tony Valazza, Hong Kong Harry has won 9 of 13 starts in his career, and 5 of 6 starts since arriving from Britain last winter.

Beyond Brilliant has won three graded stakes since late November 2021 by leading throughout. In the Seabiscuit Handicap, Beyond Brilliant was fourth for the first six furlongs and closed well to lead briefly in the final strides.

Though beaten, Beyond Brilliant’s closing style and competitive run left Shirreffs hopeful that the 4-year-old colt is no longer a need-the-lead type.

“He ran great,” Shirreffs said. “We didn’t really expect it. The horse just relaxed.

“That was a nice bunch of horses, too.

“We have been practicing a long time with him in a stalking position. I think it’s starting to pay off now. He had to get comfortable racing next to another horse and not trying to outrun it right away.”

Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable, Beyond Brilliant has won stakes at distances ranging from a mile to 1 1/4 miles. His most prestigious win was the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at 1 1/8 miles in November 2021, and races at that distance and farther will figure in 2023 plans.

“When we ran him a mile, we thought it was too short for him,” Shirreffs said.

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