Beholder and Songbird hit the wire together in the Distaff!
The star mare goes out on top!
In a stretch duel for the ages, it was six-year-old mare Beholder getting the best of three-year-old Songbird in a desperately close finish to capture the two million dollar Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
As expected, undefeated three-year-old filly Songbird broke alertly and found herself on the early lead. The even-money favorite set early fractions of 23.32 and 47.16 with the eventual winner flanked outside Curalina a few lengths back.
As she has so many times in her brilliant career, Beholder made her move on the far turn setting the stage for a classic battle in the Santa Anita stretch.
Under the handling of Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, Beholder appeared poised to run by her younger rival at the top of the lane, but Songbird was game as they come.
The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro did not give an inch and battled her elder to the wire, but in the end it was the Spendthrift Farm mare that scored the victory by a nose.
When asked about the incredible battle in the stretch Stevens stated, "I've been in battles before, but never the length of the stretch. I mean, it was almost 5/16ths, definitely a quarter of a mile of just a street fight....My hat's off to Songbird. She's a three-year-old that laid it all on the line today too."
The win marked the second Distaff victory for Beholder and concluded an incredible career with eighteen wins in twenty six lifetime starts. It gave Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella his ninth Breeders' Cup victory.
A grateful Mandella after the Distaff declared,"I wouldn't have even been able to have imagined. I won four races on Breeders' Cup Day in '93, two Breeders' Cup races and two stakes along with and I thought, boy, this will never happen again. Then in 2003 we won four Breeders' Cup races, and this mare just keeps running. I don't know what I did to deserve it."
Songbird lost nothing in defeat. She ran valiantly to the wire and it should be amazing to see her continue her career in 2017. As expected, jockey Mike Smith was far from upset with his filly's effort. He said, "She ran incredible and I'm so proud of her. The real Beholder showed up today....My filly made her reach down as deep as she has. In losing, I feel like we won."
The winner paid $8.60, $3.60, and $3.00. Runner-up Songbird paid $3.20 and $2.80. Forever Unbridled closed to finish third paying $4.40 to show. The winning trifecta combination 8-1-6 paid $40.40 on a fifty-cent wager.
Beholder finished the mile and an eighth distance of 1:49.20.
What a privilege it has been to cover these two females over the past season. Songbird is about as classy as they come and proved it today. Beholder, well, she is the undisputed queen of California racing and I want to thank her for the tremendous joy she has brought my life since moving out to Southern California last May.
Thank you Beholder!