Beholder diagnosed with throat ulcer

Beholder had an excuse for her surprising loss (Wendy Wooley/EquiSport Photos)

Champion two-year-old filly Beholder likely had an excuse when she was second
in her three-year-old debut as the 1-5 favorite in Monday’s Grade 2 Santa Ynez
Stakes.

“We did an exam of her yesterday, scoped her and found an ulcer in her
throat, a small one that we can clean up real quick,” Hall of Fame trainer
Richard Mandella said on a rainy Thursday morning.

“She probably had a pretty sore throat in the race and didn’t even know it.”

Mandella is optimistic that the daughter of Henny Hughes can still make the
Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile on March 2.

“I don’t think it will interfere because of the timing of it,” Mandella said.
“She’s going to get an easy week anyway. We’ll treat it and work on it, and if
she gets better quick enough, we’ll go; if it doesn’t, we’ll do something else.”

Mandella also had an update on Grade 1 Malibu winner Jimmy Creed, who will
not be ready in time to stretch out to the Grade 2 Strub Stakes at 1 1/8 miles
on February 2. The son of Distorted Humor is now ticketed for the Grade 2 San
Carlos Stakes on February 23, like the Malibu, a seven-furlong test.