Nevada Beach Upsets Full Serrano in Goodwood

Nevada Beach went into the Sept. 27 Goodwood Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park as the least experienced of the six horses. He came out a grade 1 winner with an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), slated this year for Del Mar. Bob Baffert doesn't hesitate to jump a horse up in class several rungs at a time if he feels the horse is ready. He took just such a chance with Nevada Beach, who was making only his fourth lifetime start and his first in graded company. The 1 1/8-mile Goodwood was supposed to showcase Full Serrano (ARG), winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), and First Mission, a multiple graded winner trained by Brad Cox in from Churchill Downs. Instead, 3-year-old Nevada Beach emerged as a rising star. "Going into it, I knew he was going against Full Serrano, and I have a lot of respect for him," Baffert said. Full Serrano set the early pace, leading both of Baffert's runners, Nevada Beach and Privman. Full Serrano was able to keep the fractions reasonable, completing the first quarter-mile in :23.58 and a half-mile in :47.86. Mike Smith, aboard Nevada Beach, sat in second. He pressured Full Serrano on the backstretch, dueling with him around the second turn. Nevada Beach gamely battled with the more experienced Full Serrano in the stretch, pulling away late to score by 1 1/2 lengths and stopping the timer in 1:48.43. Privman finished 3 1/4 lengths back in third, followed by First Mission, Ultimate Gamble, and Express Train. "Nevada Beach traveled beautifully," Smith said. "There were different strategies going into this race, and Bob told me that he will go every bit of the mile and an eighth so to do what I needed to do. I was brave enough to go ahead and push at the end there, and the horse responded great." Baffert trains Nevada Beach for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. "That was wonderful," Watson said. "I thought he was in really tough. He beat a couple of really good horses." The owners are longtime clients of Baffert and bought Nevada Beach in the name of The Three Amigos for $260,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Nevada Beach did not run as a 2-year-old, making his first start in April. He won a maiden race, finished second in the June 8 Affirmed Stakes to Baffert-trained Gaming, and won the June 28 Los Alamitos Derby. "We had some issues—nothing major," Baffert said. "I just took my time with him. We've always thought he was a really good horse. I almost took him to Parx (for the Pennsylvania Derby). But his work wasn't quite up to standard, so I kept him here. When Nysos wasn't going to run here, I decided to run him here." Baffert, of course, has a huge arsenal of possibilities for races such as the Goodwood. He entered Nevada Beach, Privman, and Gaming, but scratched Gaming. "It wasn't a good spot for him," Baffert said. As a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series event, the Goodwood win grants Nevada Beach an automatic, fees-paid berth to the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 1. The Paul Tackett Revocable Trust, Phil Tackett Estate, and Christy Tackett bred Nevada Beach in Kentucky. The colt is out of the Yes It's True mare Morrow Cove, who won the 2012 Raging Fever Stakes and Serena's Song Stakes while trained by Todd Pletcher. Morrow Cove is a half sister to grade 1 winner Decked Out, both being out of multiple stakes winner Once Around. Nevada Beach is by Omaha Beach, and Baffert noted that Smith also rode Omaha Beach during his racing career. "Omaha Beach is starting to heat up now," Baffert said. Nevada Beach, Kopion, Caitlinhergrtness, and Desert Gate are 2025 graded winners sired by Omaha Beach. Winner of the 2019 Arkansas Derby (G1) and two other grade 1 races, the War Front stallion was the leading second-crop sire in 2024 and is this year's leading third-crop sire through Sept. 27. He stood for a 2025 stud fee of $35,000 at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington.