Trainer Bob Baffert scratched Speed Boat Beach, a two-time stakes winner on turf, from Sunday's Sham Stakes (G3), a 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) points race at Santa Anita, and will instead point him to the San Vicente (G3) later this month. Speed Boat Beach was the 5-2 co-second choice on the morning line for the Sham.
The $200,000 San Vicente (G3) will be run at seven furlongs on Jan. 29.
“I'm going to wait for a different race, probably the San Vicente around one turn,” Baffert said. “I've been running him on turf and I kind of go by my gut. I don't know if he was prepared.”
Baffert had previously said he was hoping to have one dirt start for Speed Boat Beach before a potential trip to the Middle East for races such as the Saudi Derby, a local Group 3 event at King Abdulaziz Racetrack, and the UAE Derby (G2), the latter a Kentucky Derby qualifier March 25 at Meydan Racecourse.
Speed Boat Beach has won three of four starts, including the five-furlong Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita in October and one-mile Cecil B. DeMille (G3) Del Mar on Dec. 4, both on turf. He set a Del Mar track record of 1:01.86 for 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt in his career debut Sept. 10.
Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the son of Bayern was previously scratched from the one-mile Eddie Logan on grass on Dec. 30.
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