SANTA ANITA OAKS (gr. I ), Santa Anita Park , April 06, 2013 , $300,000 Guaranteed , value of race $300,250 , 3 yo , 1 1/16 miles , 1:43.16 Dirt FT .

Last year’s grade I Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies-winning Beholder emphasized her juvenile champion status when she led at every call to take the April 6 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I).

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, she covered the 11/16-mile contest in 1:43.16 and solidified a spot in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).

The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Henny Hughes, who is trained by Richard Mandella for B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm, came off a 33/4-length win over Fiftyshadesofhay in the March 2 Las Virgenes (gr. I). She has now won five of her eight career starts, for earnings of $1,575,000.

“You expect (to win), but with horse racing you don’t want to expect too much,” said Mandella. “She just did everything right, handled herself well, and she’s a very good filly…She’s got the heart of a warrior.”

“I think the Kentucky Oaks might be tougher than the Derby this year,” added Hughes, who has campaigned other past grade I winners Cuvee, Court Vision, Jimmy Creed, and Stellar Jayne. “We’re looking forward to the Oaks. We can’t go to the Derby. They won’t let us in anymore.”

Beholder was bought for $180,000 by Spendthrift Farm at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale from breeders Nancy and Fred Mitchell’s Lexington-based Clarkland Farm.

She is out of the stakes-winning Tricky Creek mare Leslie’s Lady, who was acquired for $100,000 by Clarkland at the 2006 Keeneland November mixed sale. In foal to Orientate, she was consigned by the Estate of James T. Hines.

One Last Bird (by One for All), the second dam of Leslie’s Lady, is a half sister to grade I winner Roanoke (by Pleasant Colony).

Leslie’s Lady has proved to be a versatile broodmare as her two top foals have excelled at various distances. Beholder has prevailed in events ranging from 51/2 furlongs to 11/16 miles, while her half brother, Into Mischief, also scored in major sprint and route races (11/16-mile CashCall Futurity, gr. I; seven-furlong Damascus Stakes). Into Mischief has been standing at Spendthrift since 2009 and is the sire of Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Goldencents. His 2013 fee at the Lexington farm is $20,000.

Leslie’s Lady’s youngest offspring, a 2-year-old Curlin colt named Head Quarters, fetched $300,000 from Juddmonte Farms at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale from Clarkland Farm.

Henny Hughes is the sire of 16 stakes winners, including four 2013 added-money victors. Henny Hughes stands for $7,500 at Walmac Farm near Lexington.—E.M.

LAS VIRGENES S. (gr. I ), Santa Anita Park , March 02, 2013 , $250,000 Guaranteed , value of race $250,750 , 3 yo , 1 mile , 1:36.14 Dirt FT .

Despite having finished second in the Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II) Jan. 21 in her first start since clinching a championship by winning the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) in November, Beholder went off as the odds-on favorite in the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita. She managed to win like one, setting the pace and scoring by 33/4 lengths.

Beholder improved her record to 4-2-0 from seven starts for B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm. The Lexington nursery had bought the daughter of Henny Hughes for $180,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale from her breeder, Fred and Nancy Mitchell’s Clarkland Farm, agent.

Hughes, who has made it a point to return Spendthrift to the glory days it experienced decades ago under Leslie Combs II, has bred and/or raced numerous graded stakes winners the last few years. The group includes Court Vision, who won the 2011 TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT), and Jimmy Creed, winner of the 2012 Malibu Stakes (gr. I), both of whom scored in the Spendthrift silks.

This year Spendthrift is represented as breeder by Kauai Katie, winner of the Forward Gal Stakes (gr. II) and the Old Hat Stakes (gr. III), both at Gulfstream Park.

Clarkland, located near Lexington, bought Beholder’s dam, stakes winner Leslie’s Lady (in foal to Orientate), from the Estate of James T. Hines Jr., agent, for $100,000 at the 2006 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Leslie’s Lady’s value increased dramatically after her son, Into Mischief, won the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) 13 months later for Hughes.

Clarkland experienced a big day during the fourth session of the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale when Beholder’s half brother by Curlin sold for $300,000 to Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms.

Leslie’s Lady produced a Curlin filly Feb. 2 and was bred to Eskendereya the day of the Las Virgenes.

“She’s a nice mare and is doing well,” Fred Mitchell said. “She’s easy to get in foal.”

Mitchell said Into Mischief’s success as a stallion helps showcase the female family. “He sired Vyjack, who won the Gotham Stakes (gr. III) the day of Beholder’s win,” he said.

Henny Hughes has sired 16 stakes winners including four this year. Henny Hughes stands for $7,500 at John T.L. Jones III and Bob Trussell’s Walmac Farm near Lexington.—D.S.