Beholder and Stellar Wind start close together in Hirsch

Trainers generally abhor the No. 1 post position for major stakes races like nature abhors a vacuum.

But, given that there are only five horses in the race, and the one he’ll be saddling is the champion Beholder, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella won’t lose any sleep over her No. 1 starting spot for Saturday’s $300,000 Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes.

Or be concerned about having champion Stellar Wind, Beholder’s chief rival, breaking from right next door in the No. 2 spot.

“I’ve always been a big believer in it’s better to have good luck in a race than good luck in the post position draw,” Mandella said. “Luck can get you beat from a good post or help you win from a bad one.”

With her superior ability, Beholder has made her own “luck”  in eight straight stakes  victories  dating back to the Grade I Zenyatta at Santa Anita in September of 2014.

Beholder drew the No. 1 post for the 2015 Clement L. Hirsch, was rated a close  third for the first half-mile, then bid seven rivals adieu and won by seven lengths. It was almost as impressive as here subsequent 8 ¼ length victory in the TVG Pacific Classic.

Stellar Wind had the No. 1 post and Beholder No. 2 when they faced off seven weeks ago in the Grade I Vanity Handicap at Santa Anita. They were only about a length apart through much of the  one-mile event, then Beholder  opened a 2 ½-length advantage in the stretch and won by a length and a half.

“I have a lot of respect for Stellar Wind, she’s a very good filly,”  Mandella said. “We’re not taking anything for granted.”

John Sadler, trainer of Stellar Wind, said the post position draw was a good one for his horse but he didn’t expect it to be a factor in the outcome. Small fields can produce a “jockey race” in which in-race decision making proves critical. Nothing new for either Hall of Famer Gary Stevens on Beholder or Victor Espinoza on Stellar Wind.

“We’ll keep our (pre-race) strategy to ourselves,” Sadler said. “But these are all good riders and I think everybody’s going to wind up riding their own race and not get caught up in what somebody else is doing.”

The field from the rail:  Beholder (Gary Stevens, 1-5), Stellar Wind (Victor Espinoza 5-2), The Dream (Martin Garcia, 20-1), Off the Road (Martin Pedroza, 20-1) and Divina Comedia (Joe Talamo, 15-1).

The Hirsch, at 1 1/16 miles, is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 4 at Santa Anita.

 
Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club