Beholder Returns to Mandella Barn

Spendthrift Farm’s two-time champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) returned to trainer Richard Mandella’s Santa Anita barn yesterday. The bay had been turned out at Peacefield Farm in Temecula, California, recovering from a fever which forced her to be scratched from the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff Oct. 31, where she was favored to score a repeat victory. She was also scratched from the Fasig-Tipton November sale Nov. 3.  

“We’ll look her over for a couple days and X-ray her lungs to make sure everything is good,” Mandella said. “If it is, then I’ll send her to Julie Adair’s facility in Chino for a couple of weeks where she can start trotting and get into a little shape, and then I’ll bring her back to Santa Anita. We expect everything to be fine, but if not, we’ll regroup.” 

Beholder only made three starts this year starting with a victory in Santa Anita’s Santa Lucia S. She was fourth to Close Hatches (First Defence) and Princess of Sylmar (Majestic Warrior) in Belmont’s GI Ogden Phipps S. June 7 and successfully defended her title in Arcadia’s GI Zenyatta S. when last seen Sept. 27.