Beholder turns Santa Lucia into paid workout

ARCADIA, Calif. - Beholder ran like the two-time champion she is in her 2014 debut in Sunday’s $80,500 Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita, overwhelming four rivals in a race essentially over three furlongs from the finish.

Without significant urging from jockey Gary Stevens, Beholder ($2.20) took the lead on the final turn and won the Santa Lucia by 5 1/4 lengths over 11-1 Legacy. Beholder led by a half-length on the turn and by five lengths with a furlong remaining.

“He never asked her to run,” owner B. Wayne Hughes said. “A horse like this doesn’t come around very often. I’m very happy that we have her. I’m glad we got her started.”

The Santa Lucia Stakes, restricted to fillies and mares who had not won a graded stakes in 2014, was the first start for Beholder since a win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff here last November. Trained by Richard Mandella, Beholder was the champion 2-year-old filly of 2012 and champion 3-year-old filly of 2013.

Beholder ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.67. Irish Presence was third, followed by Moulin de Mougin and City at Dawn.

The field was reduced to five runners with the withdrawals of Eblouissante and Magic Union.

Eblouissante, a half-sister to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, was scratched because of a respiratory ailment, trainer John Shirreffs said on Sunday morning. Magic Union, second in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 15, was withdrawn after suffering from stomach cramps on Friday morning, trainer John Sadler said.

Legacy set the pace of 23.52 and 47.14 seconds, leading by 1 1/2 lengths over Beholder, who raced two-wide. Stevens moved Beholder alongside Legacy at the end of the backstretch before taking the lead. The Hall of Fame jockey said he was confident throughout.

“She’s matured mentally and physically,” Stevens said. “She’s a joy to be around. Everyone said this was a paid workout and I’m relieved. We’re glad to get this first one.”

Beholder, by Henny Hughes, has won 9 of 13 starts and earned $3,123,300. The Santa Lucia Stakes was Beholder’s fourth consecutive victory. The current streak began with the Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar last September and includes the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes here last September and the BC Distaff.

The BC Distaff here this autumn is the long-range goal for Beholder, who will make her next start in the $1 million Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park on June 7.

“We’ve got a lot of races in front of us,” Hughes said. “I thought she ran good and I look forward to trying to repeat what we did last year.”

Mandella knows that the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps will be a tougher race.

“What a mare,” Mandella said. “There are some good mares in New York and she’ll have to be ready.”