Beholder headlines 2016 Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch

This Saturday at Del Mar, Beholder will attempt to repeat her Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch victory from 2015. Stellar Wind, second last time out to Beholder in the Vanity Mile, has been working toward taking another shot at the defending champ. Read more about their new rivalry in Beholder and Nyquist now take center stage from Zipse at the Track.

Odds and post positions for the Clement L. Hirsch are below as seen on the HRN Stakes Tracker.

A three-time Eclipse champion, Spendthrift Farm’s Beholder has won her last eight starts, including a win over the boys in last year’s Pacific Classic, which happens to be the last time she raced at Del Mar. Richard Mandella plans to send his stable star there again after the Clement L. Hirsch. With a record of 17 wins in 22 starts and a total of 10 Grade 1 victories, Beholder is easily the heavy favorite and looks like she is ready to continue her winning streak.

Stellar Wind, also an Eclipse champion, used the Vanity Mile in June as her four-year-old debut. She had not raced since running a game second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and finished only a length and a half behind Beholder her first time back. Hronis Racing decided to keep their filly on the West Coast instead of shipping her to an easier spot. Trained by John Sadler, the Vanity Mile was Stellar Wind’s first loss in California.

By Christine Oser