Beholder makes it look easy winning Zenyatta

ARCADIA, Calif. – Yes, trainer Richard Mandella said, it was about as easy as it looked. Beholder, after beating males in the Pacific Classic last month, dropped back in to a race restricted to females and easily captured the Grade 1, $300,750 Zenyatta Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.

The race was designed to give Beholder an easy prep before she again takes on males in five weeks in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland, and it could not have gone any better. Jockey Gary Stevens looked like he was out for a morning workout on Beholder, and he was looking around through the lane, cognizant of wanting to win but in the least stressful way possible.

Mission accomplished.

“You hate to say it was easy, but it did look easy,” Mandella said in the winner’s circle.

Beholder won by 3 1/4 lengths, but the margin could have been whatever Stevens wanted.

“I feel relieved,” Stevens said. “I told Dick he might have to tack walk her in the morning.”

Beholder, who started from the outside post in the field of eight, was kept outside rivals the whole way.

“Gary didn’t want any trouble. He kept her in the clear,” Mandella said.

Beholder easily crept up to the leaders entering the far turn, toyed with pacesetter My Sweet Addiction until midstretch, and then drew away while seemingly going at half-speed.

She completed 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:42.83. The win was her 15th in 20 starts, sixth in a row, and third consecutive in the Zenyatta. She already is a two-time Eclipse Award winner and seems almost certain of a third this year.

My Sweet Addiction was a clear second, 5 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Savings Account. My Monet was fourth and was followed, in order, by Big Book, Wild in the Saddle, Warren’s Veneda, and Kyriaki.

Beholder ($2.20) was understandably heavily favored in all pools. There was $412,662 bet to show on her out of a total show pool of $457,997, resulting in a minus show pool of $75,708.

Beholder is owned by B. Wayne Hughes, who decided to keep Beholder in training this year rather than sell her at auction last fall. Now, a year later, she is headed to Keeneland to compete in the richest race of the year, against the likes of American Pharoah and Honor Code.

“I’m not making any predictions,” Stevens said. “I just hope everybody shows up.”