Fun to Dream favored, but no cinch, in Beholder Mile
ARCADIA, Calif. – Given that favorites are 5 for 7 since the Beholder Mile shortened from nine furlongs to eight, it might be folly to wager against Fun to Dream on Saturday at Santa Anita.
But the chalk-friendly history of the Grade 1 Beholder Mile is partly because of superior odds-on winners – four paid $3 or less. That will not be the case in the dirt mile on Saturday, even if Fun to Dream extends her graded stakes win streak to three, and overall win streak to five.
A deep field of eight fillies and mares were entered in the $500,000 Beholder Mile, race 8. Fun to Dream is a proper favorite, listed at 5-2 by track linemaker Jon White, but hardly a standout compared to the likely favorite in the supporting feature. Get Her Number will be tough to beat in the Grade 2 San Carlos for older sprinters, race 5.
The Beholder Mile includes Desert Dawn, a Grade 1-placed filly working exceptionally well for her comeback. Midnight Memories is a graded winner stretching to her preferred two-turn trip; Ganadora is a stakes winner with speed; Pauline’s Pearl is a Grade 1 winner from the Midwest; A Mo Reay and Kirstenbosch won Grade 3s; sprinter Awake At Midnyte enters in peak form.
It’s a strong field in which Fun to Dream, a California-bred by Arrogate, will enter following three successive stakes wins at seven furlongs, including the Grade 1 La Brea and Grade 2 Santa Monica.
The Beholder “will be a tougher race,” trainer Bob Baffert acknowledged, then nodded toward the filly’s co-owner and added, “There’s a lot of pressure.”
Fun to Dream is co-owned by Baffert’s wife, Jill, and co-breeder Connie Pageler. The filly has won six of seven starts; she crossed the wire second in her only defeat. Two turns? Not a problem. She won her only route, albeit an entry-level allowance vs. modest rivals, by nearly five lengths.
Baffert said Fun to Dream “has worked well, she trains like a horse that can go farther, my riders think she can go farther.”
Juan Hernandez rides Fun to Dream, who overcame an uneasy trip last out winning the Santa Monica. She drew post 8 in the Beholder Mile. She could lose ground, but will be racing in the clear while forwardly placed.
Desert Dawn emerged last season as California’s top 3-year-old dirt filly. She won the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, finished third in the Kentucky Oaks, and second in a Grade 1 at Del Mar won by Blue Stripe, subsequent runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Phil D’Amato trains Desert Dawn for Arizona mother-daughter owner-breeders Elena and Hollie Crim. Although Desert Dawn has not raced in six months, D’Amato expects her to fire first start back.
“Fitness-wise, she should be ready to go,” D’Amato said. “I was able to get some good works in her prior to the rain.”
Desert Dawn worked five furlongs March 5 under regular rider Umberto Rispoli, and ran down a workmate in 58, the fastest clocking on the day for the distance. D’Amato timed her six furlongs in 1:11.40. “That’s a pretty serious drill for this filly,” he said.
Desert Dawn, an Arizona-bred by Cupid, has won two races and $621,150 from 11 starts.
The pace is likely to be set by one of the Baffert trainees. In addition to Fun to Dream, Baffert starts Midnight Memories and Ganadora. Midnight Memories, who won the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes last fall, finished fourth as the favorite in the seven-furlong La Brea.
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“She just didn’t run,” Baffert said. “She’s been working well, and she wants to [run long].”
Ramon Vazquez rides 4-for-6 Midnight Memories. Ganadora, runner-up last out in a Grade 3 won by Kirstenbosch, also has speed.
The Beholder is one of two major filly-mare dirt races Saturday, the other is the Grade 2 Azeri at Oaklawn Park. Steve Asmussen-trained Clairiere is among the Azeri favorites; Asmussen sent Azeri nominee Pauline’s Pearl to Santa Anita. A Grade 1 winner in Kentucky last spring, she won a Grade 3 last out at Sam Houston.
A Mo Reay won a Grade 3 at Oaklawn and also was nominated to the Azeri. Her trainer, Brad Cox, entered Interstatedaydream in the Azeri and sent A Mo Reay to California.
Awake At Midnyte finished second behind Fun to Dream both recent starts. Awake At Midnyte is best at one turn, but enters in peak form.
The Beholder, formerly named the Vanity, was shortened to a mile in 2016 and was renamed a year later. The recent odds-on winners include Beholder (2016), Stellar Wind (2017), Unique Bella (2018), and As Time Goes By (2022).
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