Beholder wins yet another one at Santa Anita in the Adoration
What a wonderful racemare Beholder is. Moving effortlessly into the throne abdicated by Zenyatta a few years ago, as the Queen of Southern California racing, Beholder is near unbeatable at Santa Anita. Proving it once again, the lovely five-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes cruised home to her tenth victory at the Great Race Place in today’s Grade 3 Adoration Stakes, despite a huge effort by runner-up Warren’s Veneda. The 1 1/4-length victory raised Beholder’s lifetime record at her home track to a sparkling 11-10-1-0.
Beholder broke smoothly under her familiar partner Gary Stevens, and watched long shot, My Monet, to her inside, take the early lead into the clubhouse turn. That one took the turn a bit wide, but the heavy favorite held her position to gain a good stalking position as the field entered the backstretch. Another long shot, Oscar Party made a quick move early in the backstretch to briefly put Beholder in between horses and back in third, but the champion quickly shook that one off to lap onto the leader.
Through a half mile in :47.07 and six in 1:10.86, the two-time champion remained poised to pounce into the far turn. Meanwhile, the only other horse in the race that took any money at 7-2, Warren’s Veneda, who had enjoyed a good position near the back of the compact field, was beginning to roll from the outside. As Beholder effortlessly took over from My Monet, her main challenger moved ever closer on the outside. Giving Gary Stevens everything he needed, as usual, Beholder never let the challenge become too concerning, as she scooted home down the stretch to yet another popular Santa Anita victory.
“I rode her like she was the best mare out there, and she was,” said Stevens. “She does things so natural. I was very, very comfortable; she was very, very comfortable coming into the stretch. Almost too comfortable. She was playing around a little bit, [she] drifted over too close to the rail. [She] gave me a little bit of a scare there for a second, because she got too close to the rail, and shied away from it a little bit, but went on about her business. A relatively easy win for her. Beholder’s as nice a horse as I’ve ever sat on.”
Warren’s Veneda ran huge to finish more than seven lengths clear of third-place finisher, My Monet, who was even farther ahead of the rest of the field. But as good as the runner-up was, Beholder was under little pressure to hold her strong advance at bay. Under the allowance conditions of the race, Warren’s Veneda actually was giving Beholder six pounds, as the only Grade 1 winner of 2015. Still, it was pretty clear that the classy winner had some more left in the tank if needed.
As an overwhelming 1-5 choice in a field of six fillies and mares, the Richard Mandella trained mare returned $2.40 for a $2 win bet. The exacta, with the heavy second choice in the place spot, also made no one rich with an even money payoff of $4 for the $2 play. A two-time Breeders’ Cup winner at Santa Anita, Beholder finished off the 1 1/16 miles over the fast main strip in a solid 1:41.67.
Appearing fully recovered from a fever that kept her on the sidelines for the Grade 1 Vanity last month, Beholder should be well on her way back to bigger and better things. Owned by Spendthrift Farm, she now has won 12-of-17 lifetime, with three seconds, and lifetime earnings just a shade under $3.5 million. Look for her to attempt to improve upon her record away from Santa Anita next, with the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar on August 1 being the likely next target. With the defeat of Untapable last week at Belmont Park, Beholder looks once again to be the leader of her division, as she strives for her third different Eclipse Award at the end of a season, which has now begun a perfect 2-for-2.