Santa Anita: Beholder stretches legs in Saturday work

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Richard Mandella wanted to give Beholder a freshening after her win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, bring her back in the spring, and point for the major races in the summer and fall, including the Distaff, to be run again at Santa Anita this year.

The pace of Beholder’s comeback is beginning to accelerate. On Saturday at Santa Anita, Beholder had her first five-furlong work of the year, in 1:00.80, and she could not have done it any easier. Jockey Gary Stevens barely moved his arms on Beholder as they came through the lane while outfinishing a workmate. Beholder started about 2 1/2 lengths behind at the five-furlong pole.

“She’s more relaxed than she ever was,” said Mandella, who spent much of last year trying to calm Beholder, whose most notable meltdown came in the post parade for the Kentucky Oaks.

Mandella said that Beholder, who has had four works since Feb. 26, “could be ready next week if you pushed her,” but he is looking at several more drills before a projected mid-April return.

“That’ll give me a good amount of time to prepare for Belmont,” he said Saturday.

Mandella’s main objective for the first half of the year is the Grade 1, $1 million Ogden Phipps Stakes, part of the sensational card at Belmont Park on June 7, Belmont Stakes Day.

Beholder has not raced since her victory in the BC Distaff, which secured for her the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly. After that, she was freshened at Peacefield Farm in Temecula, Calif., then had light training at a facility in nearby Chino run by Julie Adair.

“Julie did a great job legging her up,” Mandella said.

Beholder wasn’t the only champion working Saturday at Santa Anita. She’s a Tiger, the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old filly of 2013, breezed a half-mile in 46 seconds, the fastest time of 42 at the distance. She got a belated start this year for trainer Jeff Bonde but is starting to come to hand.

She’s a Tiger has had two three-furlong works and two four-furlong works since Feb. 22.