Kentucky-bred Beyond Brilliant proved uncatchable in the $400,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 27, winning the 1 1/8-mile turf test in wire-to-wire fashion for owner C R K Stable and trainer John Shirreffs.
Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Beyond Brilliant took command away from the gate. The bay son of Twirling Candy relaxed nicely throughout and had enough in reserve to fend off a strong late surge from Santin to score by a neck at the wire. In winning for the third time in nine starts, Beyond Brilliant covered the distance in 1:48.84. The $240,000 winner’s share of the purse increased the 3-year-old colt’s earnings to $381,280.
“This horse likes to be on the lead or close to the lead and obviously with a big field that’s a good place to be,” said John Shirreffs.
Desormeaux added, “When I rode him last time (3rd in the Twilight Derby at Santa Anita), he was a handful to control. Today, he was easy. He was dry as a bone in the paddock and he was happy out on the racetrack. His mind was right, and he showed he can sprint that last part.”
Bred in Kentucky by Fred Hertrich III, John Fielding, and Robert Tribbett, Beyond Brilliant is produced from the First Defence mare Summer On the Lawn. Beyond Brilliant was a $200,000 graduate of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.