Shea Brennan noses I'm a Bad Boy in King Glorious

CYPRESS, Calif. - Shea Brennan dueled for the lead with various rivals through the long stretch at Los Alamitos in Sunday’s $102,000 King Glorious Stakes for 2-year-old statebreds before scoring a victory by the narrowest margin.

Shea Brennan (9-2) outfinished 5-1 I’m a Bad Boy to win the one-mile race by a nose.

Ridden by Antonio Fresu, Shea Brennan ran a mile for the first time on Sunday, winning for the second time in five starts.

“He has a lot of ability,” winning trainer Phil D’Amato said. “He’s still learning. He was looking around in the stretch.

“I think the two turns helped him a lot.”

Shea Brennan was timed in 1:38.46 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 77.

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“He was playing around a little bit in the stretch, but he was very game when they came to him,” Fresu said.

Shea Brennan, who races for owner and breeder Nick Alexander, was always near the front, stalking pacesetter Valentines Candy through an early fraction of 23.31 seconds for the opening quarter-mile.

Shea Brennan had a narrow lead over 115-1 Valentines Candy through a half-mile in 47.24 seconds. Racing two-wide on the turn, Shea Brennan led by a head over 6-1 Got’m Cot’m with a quarter-mile remaining. He could not shake clear.

Got’m Cot’m was a close second with a furlong remaining, with I’m a Bad Boy trailing by only a neck. I’m a Bad Boy made a sustained effort outside of Shea Brennan to just miss. R Heisman, the 3-2 favorite, closed from seventh in the final quarter-mile to finish third, beaten a half-length.

Whiskyginandbrandy finished fourth, followed by Got’m Cot’m, Hardtobebetternow, Call Me Sir, Valentines Candy and The Gypsy Cowboy.

Tiago Pereira, who rode Whiskyginandbrandy, claimed foul against Fresu, alleging interference in the stretch. The stewards unanimously rejected the claim of foul.

Shea Brennan, a colt by Tough Sunday, has earned $144,600.

The King Glorious was Shea Brennan’s third start in a stakes. He was third in two sprint stakes at Del Mar earlier this year, the I’m Smokin Stakes at six furlongs on Sept. 6 and the Golden State Juvenile at seven furlongs on Nov. 1.

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