Beautiful Shot upsets $950,000 colt Nero at Del Mar

Beautiful Shot, a 2-year-old colt trained by Keith Desormeaux at the San Luis Rey Training Center in Bonsall, upset trainer Bob Baffert's high-priced colt Nero in the seventh race at Del Mar Aug 27.

Beautiful Shot charged from ninth in a field of 10 and surged along the rail in deep stretch to defeat Nero by a nose in the 5 1/2-furlong maiden dash. Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, the younger brother of Keith Desoremaux, guided Beautiful Shot to the thrilling victory.

Beautiful Shot, purchased in April for $105,000, and Nero, bought as a yearling for $950,000, were both making their career debuts. Nero entered the race off a series of very fast workouts and was made the heavy 1-2 favorite under jockey Martin Garcia.

Beautiful Shot recorded several solid workouts at San Luis Rey before Keith Desormeaux sent him to Del Mar to get in a pair of works on the dirt surface there. Beautiful Shot went off at odds of 7-1 and returned $16.40 as the third choice in the wagering.

Florida-bred, Beautiful Shot is by the sire Trappe Shot and out of the dam Beauty for Ashes. Calumet Farm owns Beautiful Shot, who raced the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.86 and earned $36,000 for the victory.

Beautiful Shot was one of five horses from San Luis Rey to visit the Del Mar winner's circle during week six of the track's summer meeting. The other winners were Pedro Cerrano, Conquest Typhoon and Little Jude – all from the Peter Miller racing stable – and Space Cadet from Richard Baltas barn.

Pedro Cerrano won the fourth race Aug. 24. With Garcia aboard, Pedro Cerrano took the 5 1/2-furlong sprint for $12,000 claimers by 3 3/4 lengths and paid $6.20 as the 2-1 favorite in a field of seven. It was the fourth win in eight career starts for Pedro Cerrano, a 4-year-old gelding who stopped the timer in 1:03.53.

Conquest Typhoon, who joined Miller's barn at San Luis Rey in August, won the sixth race Aug. 26. Ridden by Flavien Prat in the one-mile allowance test on the turf, Conquest Typhoon edged Oregon by three-quarters of a length in 1:35.15 and paid $8.60. A 5-year-old gelding, Conquest Typhoon has two wins and a second in three tries on the Del Mar turf.

Little Jude, who set the pace and then faded to seventh in a 6 1/2-furlong race July 29 at Del Mar, led all the way to capture the third race Aug. 27. Apprentice Evin Roman piloted Little Jude to her 2 1/2-length victory in the five-furlong turf sprint. A 3-year-old filly, Little Jude was timed in :56.07 and paid $14.40.

Space Cadet posted a front-running victory in the second race Aug. 25. With Kent Desormeaux in the irons, Space Cadet held off Miss Boom Boom to win the one-mile starter allowance race on the turf by a half-length in 1:36.24. Space Cadet was the 3-2 favorite in a field of five and paid $5.00 after collecting her third win of the year.

San Luis Rey runners have recorded 26 victories at Del Mar's summer meeting, which concludes Labor Day, Sept. 4.