Beholder will stay home and be bred to Bolt d'Oro

Four-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder delivered her third foal this week, and in a vote of major confidence for one of its young stallions, owner Spendthrift Farm said she will stay home for this season’s mating.

Beholder delivered a War Front filly at Spendthrift in Lexington, Ky. The Henny Hughes mare, who was campaigned throughout her career by Spendthrift, will be bred back to Bolt d’Oro.

A multiple Grade 1-winning juvenile by Medaglia d’Oro, Bolt d’Oro is preparing for his second season at stud after garnering a solid book in his first season at Spendthrift.

“This filly is a good-sized, well-made foal, with a great shoulder and plenty of bone,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said of Beholder’s latest arrival. “She couldn’t be doing any better. The delivery was very smooth and uneventful. It was another beautiful effort by Beholder.”

:: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales

Beholder’s first three foals are all by classic sires. Her first foal, a 2-year-old Uncle Mo colt named Q B One, was broken for racing last fall at Silver Springs Training. No plans have yet been announced for his racing career.

“Q B One is doing great – he has filled out very nicely and is enjoying this new phase in his life,” Spendthrift wrote in a blog post on Beholder’s official website. “His daily life includes loping around the track, hanging out in a paddock or his stall, and learning how to become a racehorse. Q B One is a natural and took to his new routine very quickly – he is thriving in his new role.”

Beholder delivered a filly by classic sire Curlin last year before being bred back to War Front, who recorded his first American classic winner when War of Will won the Preakness last year.

Meanwhile, Bolt d’Oro covered 214 mares in 2019, according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred, making him the sixth-busiest stallion in North America and the third-busiest first-year stallion of the year, behind only Triple Crown winner Justify and Mendelssohn. Bolt d’Oro was represented by his first reported foal on Jan. 10, a filly born at Forever Spring Farm in Kentucky. The filly is out of the Speightstown mare Moment of Speight, who is from the family of Eclipse Award champion and two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Stormy Liberal.

“This filly has good substance and quality,” Forever Spring manager Matt Jackson said. “She has lovely angles and is a very pretty filly. We’re super excited to breed back to Bolt d’Oro.”

Bolt d’Oro’s first book was highlighted by Lotta Kim, the dam of Hall of Fame racemare Rachel Alexandra and two other stakes horses. Rachel Alexandra, herself the dam of a Grade 1 winner, is by Medaglia d’Oro.

Super Phoebe, the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner and Eclipse Award finalist Got Stormy, also visited Bolt d’Oro in 2019. Tizahit, the dam of another Eclipse Award finalist, Come Dancing, also visited Bolt d’Oro, as did stakes winner Glacken Gal, the dam of Grade 2 winner Live Lively and the second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner and Eclipse finalist Mitole. The young stallion’s first book also included stakes winner and producer Defy Gravity, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Callback and from the family of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver; Fly the Flag, a stakes-producing half-sister to champion Storm Flag Flying, from the female line of unbeaten champion and blue hen Personal Ensign; Grade 2 winner Always a Princess; Grade 3 winner Savvy Supreme, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Commentator; and Evening Sky, who is from the immediate family of Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady.