Beholder (horse)

Beholder (foaled 9 May 2010) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2012 she won three of her five races including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and was voted American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. In the following season she won the Las Virgenes Stakes, Santa Anita Oaks, Zenyatta Stakes and Breeders' Cup Distaff. With the Breeders' Cup win, she became the first horse to win both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Distaff.^[2][3][4]

Background

Beholder is a bay filly with no white markings bred by the Clarkland Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. She is probably the best horse sired by Henny Hughes, a sprinter whose biggest wins came in the King's Bishop Stakes and Vosburgh Stakes in 2006.^[5] Beholder's dam, Leslie's Lady, was a descendant of the broodmare Last Bird, making her a distant relative of the Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another.^[6]

As a yearling, Beholder was consigned by the Clarkland Farm to the sales at Keeneland in September, where she was bought for $180,000 by Spendthrift Farm.^[7] The filly was sent into training with the Californian trainer Richard Mandella.

Racing career

2012: two-year-old season

Beholder was ridden in all her races as a two-year-old by Garrett Gomez. She began her racing career by finishing fourth behind Executiveprivilege in a maiden race on the Cushion Track at Hollywood Park Racetrack on June 28. A month later she recorded her first win in a maiden race at Del Mar racetrack, beating Fanticola by three and a quarter lengths. On September 2 she was moved up to Grade I class for the Del Mar Debutante Stakes over seven furlongs. Starting at odds of 8.1/1 she led from the start and broke clear of the field in the straight but was caught on the line and beaten a nose by Executiveprivilege.^[8] Beholder moved to Santa Anita Park in October and won a six furlong allowance race by eleven lengths despite being eased down in the closing stages. On November 2 at Santa Anita, Beholder was one of eight fillies to contest the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies over one mile. She started the 9/2 joint second choice in the betting behind Executiveprivilege, who was made the 13/8 favourite. Beholder took the lead from the start and broke clear of the field to open up a three length advantage on the final turn. She held off the late challenge of Executiveprivilege to win by a length.^[9]

2013: three-year-old season

Beholder began her three-year-old season in the Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes over seven furlongs at Santa Anita on January 21. She started the 1/5 favorite but was beaten three-quarters of a length by Renee's Titan. An explanation for her poor performance emerged a week later when an examination revealed an ulcer in the filly's throat.^[10] At the same course on March 2, Beholder started 4/5 favorite for the Grade I Las Virgenes Stakes over one mile. She led from the start and was never seriously challenged, winning by three and three quarter lengths from Fiftyshadesofhay. Beholder's next race was the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks on April 6, for which she started the 3/10 favorite. Despite an unfavorable draw, she quickly went into the lead and went clear of the field in the straight to win by two and three quarter lengths from Iotapa. Mandella described the winner as having "the heart of a warrior".^[11] In the Kentucky Oaks on May 3 at Churchill Downs, Beholder started at odds of 9/1 in a field of ten fillies, with the Gulfstream Oaks winner Dreaming of Julia being made the 6/4 favorite. Beholder tracked the leader Midnight Lucky before moving into the lead in the straight but was overtaken in the closing stages by the 39/1 outsider Princess of Sylmar and finished second, beaten by half a length. Throughout her spring campaign, she continued to be ridden by Gomez.^[12]

After a break of almost four months, Beholder returned in the Torrey Pines Stakes over one mile at Del Mar on September 1, in which she was ridden for the first time by the veteran Gary Stevens. She started the 1/10 favorite and led all the way, winning easily from Wittgenstein. Four weeks later, Beholder was matched against older fillies and mares in the Grade I Zenyatta Stakes over eight and a half furlongs at Santa Anita. She led from the start as usual and won easily from the six-year-old mare Authenticity. Mandella called the winner "a filly that really likes the fight" while Stevens said that "I haven't gotten close to the bottom of her yet".^[13] On November 1, Beholder contested the Breeders' Cup Distaff over nine furlongs at Santa Anita. The field was a very strong one, including Royal Delta who had won the race for the last two years, Princess of Sylmar, Authenticity and Close Hatches. Beholder tracked the leaders before moving up into second place behind Authenticity half a mile from the finish. She took the lead two furlongs out and went clear of the field in the straight to win easily by four and a quarter lengths from Close Hatches, with Royal Delta fourth and Princess of Sylmar last of the six runners. After the race Mandella said "I’ve been lucky enough to have many good mares in my years of training, but this mare might have to be the best of all".^[14]

2014: four-year-old season

Beholder began her third season in the Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita on April 21. Conceding six pounds to her opponents, she started at odds of 1-10 and won by more than five lengths over Legacy. The filly returned in Grade I Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont on June 7 in which she was made favorite ahead of Princess of Sylmar and Close Hatches. She raced on the outside and moved up to third on the final turn but could make no further progress and finished fourth behind Close Hatches.^[15] She had sustained an injury during that race, and after returning to training, split the wound site open again during a workout, requiring stitches and missing yet another week of training. Nonetheless, on September 27 she won the Zenyatta Stakes for a second time, winning by ³⁄₄ of a length over Tiz Midnight and Iotapa.^[16]

Beholder was prevented from defending her Breeders' Cup Distaff title when she was found to be running a very high temperature after exercising on 19 October.

2015: five-year-old season

Once again Beholder took the Santa Lucia Stakes, run on April 10. Ridden by Gary L. Stevens, she tracked Uzziel until pulling easily away for a 3 and 3/4 length win. "The game was pretty much over going into the first turn and it was sort of a glorified workout, which is something you hope for in a race like this," Stevens said. "She's the best filly I've ever sat on and I'm not sure she's not the best horse I've ever ridden." ^[17]

Assessment and honors

Beholder was named American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly at the Eclipse awards for 2012, gaining 225 of the available 254 votes.^[18] She repeated the following year, winning American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly with 207 votes against 42 for runner-up Princess of Sylmar.^[19]

Pedigree

References