Sunday: Beholder Wins Torrey Pines
Aug 29, 2013 22:11:33 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Aug 29, 2013 22:11:33 GMT -5
Does she have any chance at catching Princess for 3 yr old filly honors?
Beholder (orange hat) hasn't been seen in competition since finishing second to Princess of Sylmar in the Kentucky Oaks (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Beholder returns in Torrey Pines
Beholder, honored as the champion two-year-old filly of 2012, will make her return to competition on Sunday at Del Mar against only five rivals in the $100,000 Torrey Pines on the Polytrack. The one-mile contest, which gets the stakes action underway at the seaside track, shares the card with two divisions of the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby as well as the $90,000 Adoration for distaffers.
Beholder hasn't raced since just missing in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 3. The Henny Hughes miss had taken a two-length lead in the stretch of the nine-furlong affair, but was caught by Princess of Sylmar and had to settle for second on the wire.
"She came out of it fine, but she had a tough time with the excitement there, so I gave her a little rest," trainer Richard Mandella explained the near four-month break. "I'd put her through a pretty tough task to go to the Kentucky Oaks, knowing that it (Derby week and race-day excitement) wouldn't be easy for her mentally.
"She did the best she could, and I couldn't have been prouder of her unless she'd have won the race. And she almost won."
Despite Beholder winning the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks prior to the Kentucky Oaks, the sophomore is facing stiff competition from Princess of Sylmar for year-end championship honors. That Majestic Warrior filly has gone on to take the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama, so Beholder needs to up her game if she wants to add another Eclipse Award to her mantle.
"To build my confidence," Mandella quipped when asked about entering his star pupil in the Torrey Pines instead of back against graded rivals.
"It's a mile here on the main track," he continued more seriously. "We gave her the time off figuring we'd get her here, build her confidence back up and get her a race. We know she'll get a mile very well. We'll see how she does and then we'll decide which direction she goes after that."
The bay miss has picked a good track to begin her return, as she broke her maiden at Del Mar last year by 3 1/4 lengths. Next out, Beholder lost in a heartbreaking photo, just run down on the wire by Executiveprivilege in the Del Mar Debutante to finish second by a nose.
"Usually I talk myself down after a race so that if I'm surprised it's for the good, not the bad," Mandella admitted, speaking of the Debutante. "The other filly was so far outside, I really thought (Beholder) won and we all celebrated until somebody grabbed my coattail and said, 'You better look at it again.'"
Gary Stevens will take over piloting duties on Beholder, who previously had only ever been ridden by Garrett Gomez.
Nearly all of Beholder's rivals in the Torrey Pines are turf runners, which may not factor considering the race is conducted over the synthetic Polytrack. Miss Empire, though, actually owns some experience over the all-weather surface, having finishing third in the Best Pal against the boys last year prior to a fourth-placing in the Del Mar Debutante.
The Empire Maker filly filled the runner-up spot in the grassy Sandy Blue Handicap most recently while making just her second start as a sophomore, and gets Edwin Maldonado back in the saddle for trainer Peter Miller.
Charlie Em, who picks up the services of Gomez, won over a synthetic track in England, but has raced exclusively on turf since coming stateside. The bay daughter of Kheleyf opened her U.S. account with a head tally in the Senorita in May and also shows a a fourth-placing in the San Clemente Handicap two back for trainer Paddy Gallagher.
Sweet Tess, third by just a half-length in the California Oaks over Golden Gate Fields' synthetic Tapeta, will also be saddled by Gallagher while trying to rebound off a last-of-six run in the Wine Country on Santa Rosa's turf most recently. Becky Lou and Wittgenstein, the respective fifth and eighth-place finishers in the American Oaks, round out the Torrey Pines field.
Eight will travel a mile on the main track a couple races later in the Adoration. Via Villaggio is the most significant of those, having captured the Railbird last year and most recently finished sixth by just 3 3/4 lengths in the Clement L. Hirsch.
Also lining up will be four-time stakes-placed Dancingtothestars, who is seeking her first black-type victory; multiple Grade 1-placed stakes heroine Charm the Maker, fourth in the Buena Vista two back; Del Mar maiden winner Maker or Breaker, fourth in the Marjorie L. Everett Handicap a couple races ago; and dual stakes diva Sugarinthemorning, fourth just two weeks ago in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap going 6 1/2 furlongs over the track.
Brisnet
Beholder (orange hat) hasn't been seen in competition since finishing second to Princess of Sylmar in the Kentucky Oaks (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Beholder returns in Torrey Pines
Beholder, honored as the champion two-year-old filly of 2012, will make her return to competition on Sunday at Del Mar against only five rivals in the $100,000 Torrey Pines on the Polytrack. The one-mile contest, which gets the stakes action underway at the seaside track, shares the card with two divisions of the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby as well as the $90,000 Adoration for distaffers.
Beholder hasn't raced since just missing in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 3. The Henny Hughes miss had taken a two-length lead in the stretch of the nine-furlong affair, but was caught by Princess of Sylmar and had to settle for second on the wire.
"She came out of it fine, but she had a tough time with the excitement there, so I gave her a little rest," trainer Richard Mandella explained the near four-month break. "I'd put her through a pretty tough task to go to the Kentucky Oaks, knowing that it (Derby week and race-day excitement) wouldn't be easy for her mentally.
"She did the best she could, and I couldn't have been prouder of her unless she'd have won the race. And she almost won."
Despite Beholder winning the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks prior to the Kentucky Oaks, the sophomore is facing stiff competition from Princess of Sylmar for year-end championship honors. That Majestic Warrior filly has gone on to take the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama, so Beholder needs to up her game if she wants to add another Eclipse Award to her mantle.
"To build my confidence," Mandella quipped when asked about entering his star pupil in the Torrey Pines instead of back against graded rivals.
"It's a mile here on the main track," he continued more seriously. "We gave her the time off figuring we'd get her here, build her confidence back up and get her a race. We know she'll get a mile very well. We'll see how she does and then we'll decide which direction she goes after that."
The bay miss has picked a good track to begin her return, as she broke her maiden at Del Mar last year by 3 1/4 lengths. Next out, Beholder lost in a heartbreaking photo, just run down on the wire by Executiveprivilege in the Del Mar Debutante to finish second by a nose.
"Usually I talk myself down after a race so that if I'm surprised it's for the good, not the bad," Mandella admitted, speaking of the Debutante. "The other filly was so far outside, I really thought (Beholder) won and we all celebrated until somebody grabbed my coattail and said, 'You better look at it again.'"
Gary Stevens will take over piloting duties on Beholder, who previously had only ever been ridden by Garrett Gomez.
Nearly all of Beholder's rivals in the Torrey Pines are turf runners, which may not factor considering the race is conducted over the synthetic Polytrack. Miss Empire, though, actually owns some experience over the all-weather surface, having finishing third in the Best Pal against the boys last year prior to a fourth-placing in the Del Mar Debutante.
The Empire Maker filly filled the runner-up spot in the grassy Sandy Blue Handicap most recently while making just her second start as a sophomore, and gets Edwin Maldonado back in the saddle for trainer Peter Miller.
Charlie Em, who picks up the services of Gomez, won over a synthetic track in England, but has raced exclusively on turf since coming stateside. The bay daughter of Kheleyf opened her U.S. account with a head tally in the Senorita in May and also shows a a fourth-placing in the San Clemente Handicap two back for trainer Paddy Gallagher.
Sweet Tess, third by just a half-length in the California Oaks over Golden Gate Fields' synthetic Tapeta, will also be saddled by Gallagher while trying to rebound off a last-of-six run in the Wine Country on Santa Rosa's turf most recently. Becky Lou and Wittgenstein, the respective fifth and eighth-place finishers in the American Oaks, round out the Torrey Pines field.
Eight will travel a mile on the main track a couple races later in the Adoration. Via Villaggio is the most significant of those, having captured the Railbird last year and most recently finished sixth by just 3 3/4 lengths in the Clement L. Hirsch.
Also lining up will be four-time stakes-placed Dancingtothestars, who is seeking her first black-type victory; multiple Grade 1-placed stakes heroine Charm the Maker, fourth in the Buena Vista two back; Del Mar maiden winner Maker or Breaker, fourth in the Marjorie L. Everett Handicap a couple races ago; and dual stakes diva Sugarinthemorning, fourth just two weeks ago in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap going 6 1/2 furlongs over the track.
Brisnet
