Mopotism back quick in Beholder Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – A week after she finished last of seven in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes on turf at Santa Anita, Mopotism will be back on the main track in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Beholder Mile.

The surface switch has dictated the quick turnaround, trainer Doug O’Neill said.

“She never cared for the grass at all,” O’Neill said.

Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Mopotism was as close as fourth on the turn of the Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles before fading to finish 7 1/4 lengths behind race winner Sophie P.

“Mario did a wonderful job when he realized he wouldn’t be in the top five,” O’Neill said. “She came out of it great.”

Mopotism faces great competition in a small field in the Beholder Mile. The race is expected to be led by Unique Bella, the champion female sprinter of 2017, and is likely to include the Grade 1 winners Paradise Woods and Vale Dori. La Force, most recently fourth in the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes, is also expected.

The O’Neill-trained Munny Spunt, who won the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at a mile at Del Mar last summer, was supplemented for $8,000 on Wednesday. She finished fourth in an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at 6 1/2 furlongs on May 26 in her first start of the year.

O’Neill described the recent optional claimer as a “great final workout” for Munny Spunt. “She seems better as a route filly,” he said.

Mopotism and Munny Spunt are owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam. Mopotism was third in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational on March 17. She won the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes in January.

O’Neill said the small field makes the decision to start the pair more sensible.

“It’s a Grade 1 in our own backyard,” O’Neill said. “How many of these opportunities do you have?”

Mopotism will be ridden by Geovanni Franco, while Kyle Frey will ride Munny Spunt.

Gutierrez is scheduled to ride the Reddam-owned Encumbered in the Grade 2 Penn Mile at Penn National on Saturday. Trained by Simon Callaghan, Encumbered won the Del Mar Juvenile Turf last September and has not raced since finishing 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar last November.