Beholder Mile
Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Splendora (Audible) picked up her second Grade I Saturday, easily taking down the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile at Santa Anita for Bob Baffert. Saturday's win, the mare's fifth straight in a streak that began back at Del Mar last summer, was her second of her year after she returned victorious in the emotionally-poignant seven-furlong GII D. Wayne Lukas Stakes Feb. 7. Having shown the ability to be versatile in her wins, the 1-9 favorite needed no help in...
Cavalieri (Nyquist), the undefeated filly who figured to be one of the top choices in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, will pass the race, reports trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert made the announcement while being interviewed on FanDuel TV on Friday by Joaquin Jaime. Baffert did not give Jaime many details. Cavalieri is undefeated in five starts and her 5-for-5 record includes a win in the GI Beholder Mile and the GII Zenyatta Stakes, which was supposed to be her final tuneup before the Breeders' Cup. Baffert did tell Horse Racing...
When Speedway Stables LLC spent $900,000 at OBS April in 2023 for a daughter of Nyquist, a 4-year-old campaign and perfect record probably weren't the first things on Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's minds. But, nearly two years later, it's likely the partners in Speedway are not upset with a little delayed gratification, as Cavalieri (Nyquist)'s victory Saturday in the $300,000 GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile Stakes at Santa Anita made her the newest Grade I winner in their barn. Off at even money, Cavalieri broke in an even...
Facing a bevy of more experienced rivals, lightly raced SWEET AZTECA (f, 4, Sharp Azteca--So Sweetitiz, by Grand Slam) led every step of the way to capture the renamed GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile S. at Santa Anita Saturday. Last summer's GI Clement L. Hirsch S. winner and even-money favorite Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) was second, while 'TDN Rising Star' and Pumpkin Pie S. winner Green Up (Upstart), an East Coast shipper, was third. Final time for the mile was 1:36.40. A homebred for Pamela Cee Ziebarth, Sweet Azteca...
The GI Beholder Mile is being renamed the B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile in honor of the multiple champion's late owner, who passed away in August 2021. Hughes, the founder of the Public Storage company and whose silks carried the same purple-and-orange color scheme, owned horses for five decades and was the proprietor of Spendthrift Farm from 2004. Beholder, a daughter of Henny Hughes, was purchased for $180,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September sale and won a record 13 stakes races at Santa Anita, including the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup...
Trainer Chad Brown has started but three horses in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, none of which has finished better than sixth, but in the form of Klaravich Stable's Domestic Product (Practical Joke), he could very well be getting his picture taken Saturday afternoon. Having won his maiden over nine furlongs at second asking at Aqueduct in late October, the next logical step was the Dec. 2 GII Remsen S., but he caught a rain-affected strip he may not have preferred and faded through the final furlong to...
When Hunter Valley Farm's Adrian Regan and Fergus Galvin purchased A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo) for $400,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale, the plan was to add the filly to the farm's broodmare band, but a string of three straight victories in the Hunter Valley colors has postponed that trip to the breeding shed and had the operation celebrating its first Grade I triumph when A Mo Reay scored a dramatic last-gasp victory in the GI Beholder Mile at Santa Anita Saturday. "Adrian and another partner on the farm,...
There were ostensibly no moons hitting eyes like big pizza pies on a dreary Saturday at Santa Anita, but the 4-year-old filly who was up in the final jump to take the GI Beholder Mile S.?--that's A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo). A $400,000 purchase by Adrian Regan and Fergus Galvin's Hunter Valley Farm out of last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale, the dark bay swerved a clash with returning Grade I winners Secret Oath (Arrogate) and Clairiere (Curlin) in the GII Azeri S. in favor of a second career appearance at...
Trainer Todd Pletcher has unsaddled the winner of the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby a record five times--no one else has more than two to their credit--and he stands a fair chance to make it a half-dozen Saturday afternoon when he sends out the two favorites on the morning line. Pegged at odds of 8-5 is Whisper Hill Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), who will attempt to provide his sire with a fourth winner of the race since in its last 10 runnings (Ring Weekend, 2014; the...
In this continuing series from last year, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is Santa Anita's GI Beholder Mile S., the first Grade I event of the year in the distaff division. Formerly the Vanity, formerly run at Hollywood Park, and formerly run at distances up to 1 1/4 miles, the Beholder Mile has had one constant: class. Some of the most decorated racemares of our sport have won it since it was inaugurated in 1940,...
As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), second behind Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in last year's GI Beholder Mile, got the job done in the 2022 renewal of the race with an authoritative victory at Santa Anita Saturday. Sent off the 1-5 favorite while facing just three rivals, the dark bay mare was away half a step slowly, but was hustled out to the early lead. She was clear down the backstretch as the quarter went up in :22.76 and the half in :46.22. In front by three lengths at the top...
Four of the previous five winners of the GI Beholder Mile were either already in possession of an Eclipse Award or would go on to become a champion later in their career. The Ken McPeek-conditioned 2020 champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) made light work of last year's renewal and the barn will look to defend their title this weekend with Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Envoutante (Uncle Mo). Same as she did during her 3-year-old season in 2020, the dark bay was kept busy with seven starts...