Beholder Set for Return in Zenyatta

Beholder (Henny Hughes), who has been sidelined since suffering a nasty laceration during a fourth-place finish in the June 7 GI Ogden Phipps H., makes her return to the races in Saturday's GI Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita. 
“She had a flap of meat that was about two inches deep that went from the middle of her pastern up towards the top,” described trainer Richard Mandella. “So it had to be a toe grab on the horse in front of her coming backwards and her hind foot coming forwards and caught. The veterinarian in New York felt it was best not to stitch it and it healed down very well until she worked three-quarters in :11 at Del Mar. Coming home she was jumping and playing and hit it and knocked it loose. So we had to trim it away and put five stitches in about a month ago. But saying all that, it's healed up very well right now and she's had some good works and I think she is in very good shape.” 
Mandella said the two-time champion had missed three weeks of training time after the Ogden Phipps and then an additional week after aggravating the injury at Del Mar. Still he is expecting a solid effort from Beholder on Saturday. 
“I'm thinking she is probably not 100% for this, but she is probably close,” Mandella said. “She is close and she can outrun anything in my barn today. So I think she is fit and ready to go. But I am pretty confident that this race would put her in her best shape for the Breeders' Cup.” 
Beholder was named champion 2-year-old filly after winning the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She returned the following year to win the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Mandella said the filly maintained much of the demeanor of her previous championship seasons. 
“She is pretty much the same,” the trainer said. “She is a mare that, 95% of the time is sweet as a lamb, but the other 5%, she is a bear. She is aggressive and tough. But she's smart enough that that works and she can use that on the racetrack.” 
Win or lose at Santa Anita Saturday or on Breeders' Cup day, Beholder has already secured her place in Mandella's heart. 
“I've never had a horse I've been more proud of,” he said. “I think she is in good shape and I'm not really worried who would be there on Breeders' Cup day. I'm just hoping she is at her best, that's all.” 
Beholder prepped for the Zenyatta with a best-of-four seven-furlong work in 1:25.60 Saturday at Santa Anita.