Beholder might continue to race in 2016

DEL MAR, Calif. – Beholder, the brilliant winner of the $1 million Pacific Classic against males last Saturday at Del Mar, might race in 2016.

On Wednesday, owner B. Wayne Hughes said he is strongly considering racing Beholder as a 6-year-old and postponing her retirement to be bred until 2017.

“If she’s totally sound, I’d race her next year,” Hughes said in a phone interview. “She’s a special mare. I think it would be good for racing, and it’s a lot more fun for me. She has to be totally sound.”

Hughes repeatedly emphasized that Beholder must be sound to race next year and said Beholder has not faced any physical setbacks in her career, aside from an incident when she was kicked by a rival in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park in June 2014. Beholder did not race for nearly four months after a fourth-place finish in the Phipps. She was sidelined with an illness last fall.

Beholder is unbeaten in five starts since the 2014 Phipps, though none of those wins was as exciting as her comprehensive 8 1/4-length victory in the Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles. The win has put Beholder on course for another start against males and an expected matchup with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

Beholder earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Classic with her win in the Pacific Classic.

On Wednesday, trainer Richard Mandella said Beholder is being given a few extra days to recover from her win in the Pacific Classic before resuming training this weekend. She is expected to make her next start in the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes against fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 26, the opening day of the track’s autumn meeting.

Beholder has won 14 of 19 starts and earned $4,256,600.

Beholder has won championships as the outstanding 2-year-old filly of 2012 and the outstanding 3-year-old filly of 2013. She also has won two Breeders’ Cup races – the 2012 BC Juvenile Fillies and the 2013 BC Distaff.

Hughes nearly offered Beholder at auction in Kentucky last November but opted to leave her in training for 2015. He said the crowd’s reaction to Beholder before and after the Pacific Classic was a personal highlight.

“When she walked on the track and everyone was clapping, it was so good for racing, and it’s so good for me,” he said. “I’m having a good time. I’ve never had so many [text messages] as I did after that race.”