By Alan Carasso
Stretching out on the grass for the first time, Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) gave the Bob Baffert barn a rare graded stakes victory on turf in Sunday's GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. at Del Mar.
Off at 17-10 after touching 6-5 late in the wagering, Speed Boat Beach showed good early speed, but Game Time (Not This Time) speared through at the fence to take up the running into the first turn. Speed Boat Beach settled nicely for this first go at a route of ground and was content to track from second through fractions of :22.82 and a more controlled :47.30 to the half-mile point. Held together into the final three furlongs by Flavien Prat, Speed Boat Beach was asked to quicken past the five-sixteenths and was narrowly in front at the head of the lane. Game Time counterpunched gamely down inside and refused to go down without a fight, but Speed Boat was always doing the better work and went on to an ultimately comfortable victory.
“He broke well and I thought I was going to be on the lead,” said winning jockey Flavien Prat. “But Umberto [Rispoli on Game Time] wanted to go, so we were fine running second. My horse was relaxed and that's what I wanted. When it came time, he went about his business. Two turns, no problem today. Good race for him.”
The $12,000 OBSOCT yearling turned $200,000 OBS April breezer defeated stablemate Hejazi (Bernardini), this year's $3.55-million Fasig-Tipton Midlantic topper, on his 5 1/2-furlong debut over this main track Sept. 10, earning a towering 104 Beyer Speed Figure, and earned his way into the Nov. 4. GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with a 1 1/4-length success in the Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita Oct. 2. Drawn awkwardly in 11 at Keeneland, he argued a fast early pace, but gave way through the lane to finish 10 1/2 lengths behind Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}).
Pedigree Notes:
Speed Boat Beach is the fourth graded winner for GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Bayern, who stood his first year in South Korea in 2022, having previously served mares at Hill 'n' Dale Farm. One of his 11 stakes winners is KRA Classic and Busan Owners Cup hero Raon the Fighter (Kor).
Speed Boat Beach is out of a daughter of MSW & MGSP Amie's Dini and the female family also includes MSW/GSP Kid Kate (Lemon Drop Kid). Sophia Mia is the dam of a 2-year-old filly by Distorted Humor and a weanling filly by Volatile. She was bought back on a bid of $390,000 in foal to Army Mule at this year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Sunday, Del Mar
CECIL B. DEMILLE S.-GIII, $101,500, Del Mar, 12-4, 2yo, 1mT, 1:35.38, fm.
1–SPEED BOAT BEACH, 122, c, 2, by Bayern
1st Dam: Sophia Mia, by Pioneerof the Nile
2nd Dam: Amie's Dini, by Bandini
3rd Dam: Run Kate Run, by Cherokee Run
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($12,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $200,000
2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul
Weitman; B-Caperlane Farm (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat.
$60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $178,000. Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Game Time, 120, c, 2, Not This Time–Confession, by Broken
Vow. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($290,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Dermot Joyce (KY);
T-John W. Sadler. $20,000.
3–First Peace, 120, c, 2, Funtastic–Peace Opportunity, by Point
of Entry. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($15,000
Ylg '21 FTKFEB; $65,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $75,000 2yo '22
OBSOPN). O-Rancho Temescal LLC, Red Baron's Barn LLC &
Rodney E. Orr; B-Christopher L. Baker & Mullikin
Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $12,000.
Margins: HF, 1 3/4, 1. Odds: 1.70, 9.00, 2.10.
Also Ran: Ah Jeez, Ransomware, Ze'bul, Fleet Feet, Kolomio. Scratched: Lloyds Logic. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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