Beholder Seeks Fourth Zenyatta Win

Spendthrift Farm's Beholder (Henny Hughes) hopes to capture her fourth straight renewal of Santa Anita's GI Zanyatta S. Saturday, which is a “Win and You're” event for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Capturing this event for the first time as a sophomore in 2013 prior to a decisive score in that term's Breeders' Cup Distaff, the three-time Eclipse winner won this event again in 2014, but was forced to miss a Distaff title defense after spiking a fever. Besting males with a dominant 8 1/4-length victory in last term's GI TVG Pacific Classic S., she followed suit with her third win in this event and was withdrawn from GI Breeders' Cup Classic consideration after bleeding during a workout. Kicking off this term with a pair of easy wins in the GIII Adoration S. May 8 and GI Vanity Mile June 4, the bay suffered her first loss since June 2014 when Vanity Mile runner-up and fellow champion Stellar Wind (Curlin) fought her way to the front late for a half-length score in the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. July 30. Beholder was last seen finishing a gutsy second to 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in this year's Pacific Classic Aug. 20.

“She got beat by a couple very good horses,” trainer Richard Mandella during an NTRA teleconference Tuesday. “I might have contributed to getting her beat the first time–I might have been too easy on her. But that's just something you can guesstimate, there are no facts to it. The fact is, she's run very well. There's no way we would ever be disappointed in her. She's training very well, and I think she has one of her best races coming up.”

Hronis Racing's Stellar Wind, crowned 2015's champion sophomore filly after four graded victories and a neck second in the BC Distaff, makes only her third start of the season.

Stonestreet Stables' Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song) captured both the GII Santa Maria S. Feb. 13 and the GI Santa Margarita S. Mar. 19. Third to GI Beldame Invational S. morning-line favorite Forever Unbridled (Unbridled's Song) in Oaklawn's GI Apple Blossom H., the 'TDN Rising Star' was last seen winning the GIII Rancho Bernardo H. at Del Mar Aug. 17.