Beholder sticks it to rivals in Torrey Pines

Beholder looked like she was out for a Sunday stroll in the Torrey Pines (Benoit Photos) Spendthrift Farm LLC’s Beholder turned her return to competition into a paid workout on Sunday when romping by 2 3/4 lengths in the $100,000 Torrey Pines at Del Mar. Not seen since finishing a tough-luck second in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks, the Henny Hughes filly came flying out of the gate to set the pace through splits of :24 1/5, :48 3/5, 1:12 4/5 and 1:24 2/5 under jockey Gary Stevens. At no point did it look like the sophomore was being threatened as she coasted home much the best to stop the clock in 1:36 1/5 as the 1-9 favorite. “She was a complete professional today; before the race and during the running,” Stevens praised. “(Trainer) Richard (Mandella) and his crew have done a fine job with her. “This is the fourth time I’ve been on her (counting morning works). She’s been working well and against some good horses in the morning. That mile the other day (on August 21 in 1:38 4/5) was a really good move. Today I was just a passenger. And this was basically a workout for her.” Thinking ahead to the nine-furlong Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Stevens added, “I don’t think distance will be any concern. I don’t think a mile and an eighth will bother her at all. I don’t think a mile and a quarter will bother her. She’s just all class.”

Wittgenstein, Charlie Em, Becky Lou and Sweet Tess completed the order of
finish after Miss Empire was withdrawn.

Beholder was returning to Del Mar for the first time since missing by a nose
in last September’s Del Mar Debutante. Prior to that one, the bay lass broke
her maiden by 3 1/4 lengths over the Polytrack for Mandella. She
would go on to record an 11-length allowance victory before wrapping up
two-year-old filly champion honors with an easy win in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies.

Beholder made her seasonal bow a runner-up finish in the Santa Ynez on
January 21, but wouldn’t taste defeat again until the Kentucky Oaks. She added
scores in the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks, both Grade 1s, to her resume
before tangling with Princess of Sylmar at Churchill Downs. Despite leading in
the lane, Beholder just could not hold back that rival, who has since gone on to
take the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama.

“She ran like we
expected her to,” Mandella stated. “This is horse racing; sometimes it can look too easy and
everything goes wrong. But she’s a beautiful animal. I didn’t really have any
moment of worry. She was very much in control and she does everything so easy.

“We’ll look at (the Grade 1, $250,000 Zenyatta) at Santa Anita (on September
28) and then the (November 1) Breeders’ Cup Distaff.”

Now owning a 6-3-0 mark from 10 career races, Beholder has banked $1,825,000
lifetime.

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