BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Speed Boat Beach hit the work tab on a foggy morning at Santa Anita Monday for trainer Bob Baffert in preparation for a possible next start in the $2 million Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade 1) to be run Nov. 4 at The Great Race Place.
The son of Bayern went a bullet three furlongs in :36.40 handily, the fastest of 11 works at that distance.
Bred in Florida by Richard Heysek of Williston, Fla., in the name of his Caperlane Farm, Speed Boat Beach was most recently second, a head shy of winner Dr. Schivel, in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship presented by Estrella Jalisco on Sept. 30. The strong effort came in his first start in nine months after winning the Grade 2 Cecil B. DeMille over a mile on the turf at Del Mar in December.
Speed Boat Beach is a winner of three of five career starts with one second, including a victory in the $102,000 Speakeasy at five furlongs on the turf at Santa Anita in October of last year in his second career start.
The dark bay or brown colt has earned $218,000 for owners Michael Peagram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, who purchased him under their Three Amigos banner at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale for $200,000 out of the Really and Truly Thoroughbreds consignment.
A two-time OBS graduate, Speed Boat Beach sold for $12,000 to Rubin M. Sanchez at the 2021 October Yearling Sale where he was consigned by Stuart Morris. He is out of the unraced Pioneerof the Nile mare Sophia Mia.
Speed Boat Beach will be making his second start in a Breeders’ Cup event after finishing ninth in the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) won by Mischief Magic (Ire) at Keeneland last year.
