Queen Goddess going back to dirt in Beholder Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Queen Goddess won the Grade 1 American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles on dirt at Santa Anita in December 2021 after the race was transferred from turf because of wet conditions.

A four-time stakes winner, Queen Goddess has not raced on dirt in California since the American Oaks, but will return to the surface for the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares on March 9 at Santa Anita. The 6-year-old mare’s recent exercise on the surface has swayed the decision, trainer Michael McCarthy said over the weekend.

“She’s trained well on the dirt,” McCarthy said.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, Queen Goddess finished ninth of 11 in the Grade 3 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park in her last start. Queen Goddess won the same race in 2023.

This year, Queen Goddess raced in traffic on the turn and was beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Didia.

“It was a wasted race at the Pegasus,” McCarthy said. “She had a terrible trip.”

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Queen Goddess finished fifth of six in the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes on dirt at Oaklawn Park in February 2022 in her first start after the win in the American Oaks.

The $300,000 Beholder Mile is the leading dirt race for fillies and mares at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. McCarthy also plans to run Sweet Azteca, the 12-length winner of an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Feb. 2.

Trainer Todd Pletcher indicated in a text message last week that he has two candidates in Green Up, winner of the Pumpkin Pie Stakes at seven furlongs at Aqueduct in November in her last start, and Interstatedaydream, who won the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm Stakes at Aqueduct last November for trainer Brad Cox.

Shortly after that race, Interstatedaydream was bought for $1.4 million at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale by Mike Repole, one of Pletcher’s most prominent clients.

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Both Green Up and Interstatedaydream are in training at Palm Beach Downs in Florida.

The Beholder Mile field may include Adare Manor, a five-time stakes winner trained by Bob Baffert who finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita in November in her most recent race; and Desert Dawn, who won the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes on Jan. 20 at Santa Anita.

McCarthy said Three Witches, who won the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs on Feb. 3 at Santa Anita, is under consideration for the Grade 1 Madison Stakes, a $600,000 race at seven furlongs for fillies and mares on April 6 at Keeneland.

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