Beyond Brilliant Goes Gate To Wire In Hollywood Derby

Beyond Brilliant and jockey Kent Desormeaux, inside, outleg Santin, outside, to win the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux followed up victories in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup and the Cary Grant Stakes with a gate-to-wire winning ride on Beyond Brilliant in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

In a full field of 14, Desormeaux put Beyond Brilliant on the lead right out of the gate, setting early fractions of :23.96 and :49.23 as he strode out to a length and a half lead. On the far turn, Team Merchants challenged, shrinking Beyond Brilliant’s lead to a half-length as the field hit the top of the stretch. The son of Twirling Candy repelled the challenge, increasing his lead to a length as Desormeaux set his mount down for the stretch drive.

Beyond Brilliant was clear of the field until the last sixteenth of the mile when Subconscious and then Santin came on with their final rallies for the lead, Santin shrinking Beyond Brilliant’s lead down to a neck at the wire. Cathkin Peak (IRE) was third and Public Sector fourth.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf was 1:48.84. Find this race’s chart here.

Beyond Brilliant paid $23.80, $11.80, and $7.40. Santin paid $15.80 and $8.20. Cathkin Peak paid $4.60.

“All credit for this win goes to the barn. They’ve done wonders with this horse over the past month. When I rode him last time (October 31 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,” jockey Kent Desormeaux said after the race.

“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. And Kent Desormeaux is riding great right now, isn’t he? I’m gonna put Kent on more horses he’s riding so well. I’m thankful for him doing it for us today,” trained John Shirreffs told the Del Mar Press Office after the Hollywood Derby.

Bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III, John D. Fielding, and Robert L. Tribbett, Beyond Brilliant is out of the First Defence mare Summer On the Lawn. The 3-year-old colt is owned by C R K Stable LLC. Consigned by Kings Equine, the son of Twirling Candy was purchased by Mayberry Farm for $200,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale. With his win in the G1 Hollywood Derby, Beyond Brilliant has three wins in nine starts in 2021 for career earnings of $381,280.