Beholder wired the field in the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I), holding off a challenge from favorite Executiveprivilege Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park (VIDEO).
The daughter of Henny Hughes broke alertly from the rail. She led the field through opening fractions of :22.62, :46.47, and 1:11 followed all the way through the first turn and down the backstretch by Kauai Katie and second-choice Executiveprivilege.
At the top of the stretch, Executiveprivilege took up the chase in second place but could not catch Beholder, who won by a length. The final time for the 1 1/16-mile race was 1:43.61.
Beholder had been cross-entered in the six-furlong Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint because trainer Mandella had been concerned she was not setted down well enough coming out of the Del Mar meet.
"When we came from Del Mar, she had just run her third race in the Debutante (gr. I)," said trainer Richard Mandella. "Consequently, the race the last few days of Del Mar and shipping up to Santa Anita caught up with her mentally and she wouldn't turn off and relax leading up to the Chandelier Stakes (gr. I)."
The Chandelier was run at the same 1 1/16-mile distance as the Juvenile Fillies.
Mandella called owner B. Wayne Hughes, owner of Spendthrift, and voiced his concern.
"Immediately, she settled down," Mandella said. He aimed Beholder for a six-furlong allowance race Oct. 4 at Santa Anita to tune her up. "Then it was easy to go for the big money. She never got upset after the race and that was the concern."
Beholder paid $9.80, $4.60, and $3, while Executiveprivilege paid $3.40 and $2.40. Dreaming of Julia got up for third and paid $3.20. Kauai Katie finished fourth.
The winner was ridden by Garrett Gomez. She was bred by Clarkland Farm in Kentucky. Beholder is out of the stakes winner Leslie's Lady, a daughter of Tricky Creek, and is her dam's second grade I stakes winner. Leslie's Lady is also the dam of Into Mischief .
Into Mischief was owned by Hughes and had been trained by Mandella. He won the CashCall Futurity Stakes (gr. I). He seemed like a potential Derby horse but never got on the trail, requiring additional time. The son of Harlan's Holiday now stands at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky.
