Santa Anita: Beholder's sharp work shows she's ready to roll in Santa Ynez

ARCADIA, Calif. – Beholder, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November, zoomed five furlongs in 58.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Friday, leading trainer Richard Mandella to pronounce her ready for her 2013 debut later this month.

Beholder will start in the $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-old fillies on Jan. 21. A leading candidate for the title of champion 2-year-old filly of 2012, Beholder has not started since the BC Juvenile Fillies.

Friday’s workout was the fifth for Beholder since she resumed serious training in early December. The workout was the fastest of 51 at the distance.

“We gave her a rest and we’ve built her up to this,” Mandella said. “We asked her to be quiet and she responded.

“I think she’s ready. It’s going great.”

Mandella said that Beholder will have another workout next week before the Santa Ynez.

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes, Beholder has won 3 of 5 starts and $1,215,000. The BC Juvenile Fillies is her only stakes win, although she was second to Executiveprivilege in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in September.

Mandella said on Friday that Beholder is likely to have a three-race campaign at Santa Anita this winter, including two Grade 1 races – the $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes over a mile on March 2 and the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks on April 6.