Fun to Dream will look to extend her winning streak to five in Saturday’s $500,000 Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita, but will face a stern test against seven rivals.
A four-year-old by the late Hall of Fame nominee Arrogate, Fun to Dream has won six of seven for trainer Bob Baffert. She’s already proven the best female sprinter at Santa Anita this winter, taking the La Brea (G1) on opening day of the winter-spring meet and the Santa Monica (G2) last month.
Desert Dawn, last year’s Santa Anita Oaks (G2) winner, returns from a six-month layoff in the Beholder. Although winless in four tries after her signature victory last year, she did place in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Clement L. Hirsch (G1). She was upset in her last start of the season, the Torrey Pines (G3), by Midnight Memories, who went on to take the Zenyatta (G2) before finishing fourth to stablemate Fun to Dream in the La Brea.
Other locally-based players include Awake At Midnyte, runner-up to Fun to Dream in both the La Brea and Santa Monica, and the La Canada (G3) one-two Kirstenbosch and Ganadora.
The Beholder is spiced up by the presence of two Midwest shippers. Steve Asmussen has sent last year’s La Troienne (G1) heroine Pauline’s Pearl, who recently defended her title in the Houston Ladies Classic. Brad Cox is represented by A Mo Reay, winner of the Pago Hop S. at Fair Grounds and the Bayakoa (G3) at Oaklawn in her last two.
The supporting feature is the $200,000 San Carlos (G2) over seven furlongs, which is led by Forbidden Kingdom and Get Her Number.
