Barn Tour: Mandella updates on Forbidden Kingdom and more

With a mild bout of COVID in the rearview mirror, Richard Mandella is back doing what he’s done every summer since the mid-1970s: training horses at Del Mar.

The 71-year-old Hall of Famer was not on hand to witness his first graded-stakes win of the meet when Royal Ship upset the San Diego Handicap (G2) on July 30. Instead, he was home in isolation. Six days later, however, Mandela was back at the seaside oval to watch Big City Lights return from an extended 13 1/2-month layoff and take down the Real Good Deal Stakes.

“It was not a big deal,” Mandela told Horse Racing Nation of his COVID experience. “Just had to go through the motions.”

Mandella enters week four of the Del Mar meet with a record of 19: 3-2-3 and purse earnings of $452,390. On Wednesday, HRN caught up with the trainer for the latest doings with some of his stable standouts.

Forbidden Kingdom. An entrapped epiglottis that knocked him off the Triple Crown trail, followed by a “nasty” bit of colic in June, has kept the colt sidelined since April’s Santa Anita Derby (G1). He is back on the mend at Mandella’s Del Mar barn with plans to have his first work back “in the next few days."

“He’s doing very well. He’ll have a little three-furlong work here in the next couple days,” Mandella said. “But he may not run until Santa Anita (in the fall). We’ll see.”

By Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, Forbidden Kingdom won the San Vicente (G2) and San Felipe (G2) this winter before running last as the even-money favorite in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) for owners Spendthrift Farm and My Racehorse.

Big City Lights. Last year as a 2-year-old, the Mr. Big colt dazzled in a pair of wins at Santa Anita that included the Fasig-Tipton Futurity for trainer Luis Mendez. He later developed a knee chip that required surgery and ended his season.

Back for Mandella in last Friday’s Real Good Deal for California-breds going seven furlongs, Big City Lights broke a step slow but was hustled to the front by top rider Juan Hernandez. He led at every point of call before crossing the wire a 1 1/4-length winner.

Mandella is now eyeing a first graded-stakes try for Big City Lights.

“He came out of it well and will go to the Pat O’Brien,” Mandella said. The seven-furlong Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2) on Aug. 27 is an automatic qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Beholder’s babies. Beholder won four Eclipse Awards last decade while trained by Mandella, and last week she was inducted to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. She has since gone on to have three foals of racing age, two of whom are in training for Mandella at Del Mar.

Karin With an I, a 3-year-old filly by Curlin, debuted in early April at Santa Anita and finished seventh of eight. She has since recorded two timed workouts in June, two more in July and most recently breezed five furlongs in 1:01 at Del Mar on Aug. 1.

Also in Mandella's barn is Beholder’s 2-year-old, a filly by War Front named Teena Ella. She has worked four times for her debut, including a four-furlong breeze from the gate in 47.6 seconds on July 30 at Del Mar.

“(Karin With an I), I’ve been fussing with her, just trying to get her to do well. She’s kind of a work in progress,” Mandella said. “The 2-year-old has been a half mile and shows some nice promise, but we’re not too far along yet.”

Beholder’s first foal, the 4-year-old colt Q B One, made four starts for Mandella without a win. He is currently out of training.

Soothsay. The 4-year-old Distorted Humor filly returned from a nearly 13-month layoff in last Saturday’s Clement L. Hirsch (G1) and was a well-beaten fourth. Last year, Soothsay won the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) and Indiana Oaks (G3).

“I thought I had her a little more ready, but apparently I didn’t,” Mandella said. “We’ll try to make it up next time.”

A bit of class relief will be in order for “next time." Mandella said Soothsay will target the restricted Tranquility Lake Stakes going a mile on dirt at Del Mar on Sept. 5.

Royal Ship, Tizamagician, Extra Hope. Mandella said all will be nominated for the $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) on Sept. 3, a race he has won four times, including with Beholder in 2015.

Royal Ship had his first work since winning the San Diego Thursday at Del Mar. Mandella said the 6-year-old Brazilian-bred gelding by Midshipman went four furlongs in "46 (seconds) and change." Officially, he was timed in 46.2 seconds, which was the fastest of 29 works at the distance.

Tizamagician and Extra Hope most recently finished second and third, respectively, in the 1 1/2-mile Cougar II Stakes (G3) at Del Mar on July 24. Tizamagician, who was returning from a nearly nine-month layoff, set the pace in the Cougar II before being overtaken late by Heywoods Beach. Extra Hope chased in third throughout.

“Tizamagican and Extra Hope both came out of the race in great shape,” Mandella said. “I’m not sure what we’ll do next, but we’ll nominate to the Pacific Classic to be eligible in case it looks like that’s what they want to do.”

Extra Hope also returned to work Thursday with a four-furlong move in 48.4 seconds.

Last year, Tizamagician won the Cougar II before finishing second in the Pacific Classic to Tripoli when cutting back to 1 1/4 miles.