Beholder Going for History at Del Mar

Some have tried before. All have failed. But of the four females who have faced the boys in the GI TVG Pacific Classic, only Paseana (Arg) had a fraction of the class of Spendthrift Farm’s two-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder (Henny Hughes), who will take on the males and try a distance further than nine furlongs for the first time in the late-afternoon hours Saturday ‘where the turf meets the surf.’

Paseana was the 17-10 favorite, but could finish just fifth behind Missionary Ridge in the second running of the race in 1992, a performance that ranks as the best by a member of the fairer sex. Island Fashion, who did finish runner-up in the GI Santa Anita H., was ninth in 2005, while Amani (Chi) and Byrama (Fr) were sixth and seventh in 2012 and 2013, respectively, over the old Polytrack.

To try a female in a spot like this is the rarest of rare moves for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, whose three wins in the race includes Dare and Go’s streak-snapping defeat of Cigar at odds of 39.60-1 before a record Classic-day crowd of 44,181 in 1996. Mandella also saddled Gentlemen (Arg) the following year and looks for his first score since Pleasantly Perfect landed the 2004 renewal. In Beholder, he believes he has the right animal to give him a fourth.

“I don’t often do it, but I don’t often get one as good as Beholder,” the 64-year-old Mandella commented. “I think she deserves a chance to step up. It has been pretty easy for her for a year and she’s not over-raced, so I think there’s nothing wrong in trying and I’m pretty confident in her. She’s pretty good.”

Winner of 13 of her 18 trips to the post and out of the money just once on conventional dirt, Beholder most recently posted the seventh Grade I victory of her career under a brilliant ride from Gary Stevens in this track’s GI Clement L. Hirsch S. Aug. 1, scoring by a dominant seven lengths.

“I think when you come to a point when you’re winning in your own class so much, you probably ought to try something different,” Mandella said. “That’s what I’m doing.

Mandella will also send out Catch a Flight (Arg) (Giant’s Causeway), a horse in whom he has believed ever since his import from Brazil late last year. Group 1-placed going 12 furlongs on turf in South America, the October foal has kept a busy schedule and will be making his eighth start of the season Saturday. Winner of the GIII Precisionist S. May 2 and the GII Californian S. four weeks later, he bid prematurely in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita and weakened to finish third behind Hard Aces (Hard Spun) and Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday). The bay most recently defeated reigning GI Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Bayern (Offlee Wild) in this track’s GII San Diego H. July 25, and should appreciate the extra furlong and a half of this test. Flavien Prat takes over for Gary Stevens.

Red Vine, a son of 2003 Classic winner Candy Ride (Arg), who sired last year’s winner Shared Belief, is a new horse since being transferred to the main track, and if social media is to be believed, will go off nowhere near his 6-1 morning line. A maiden and allowance winner in a dozen turf tries, he annexed his first three starts on the dirt and could not catch loose-on-the-lead Bradester (Lion Heart) when second last time in the GIII Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park July 5. The bay, who should settle around midfield, drew gate five Wednesday morning.

“We’re in the middle, which gives [jockey Joel Rosario] choices,” opined assistant trainer Lee Vickers.

With Martin Garcia opting for Hoppertunity, Rafael Bejarano gets the call-up for Bayern, who controversially won last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Classic when last seen at this 10-furlong distance. His third-place effort in the San Diego was his first try around two turns this season, but he attended a modest pace that afternoon before fading in the final sixteenth of a mile. With the speedy Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile) expected to go forward from gate 10, the question is can Bayern win that battle and the war?