Warren’s Veneda takes on Beholder in Adoration

ARCADIA, Calif. – Once again, Beholder’s season is in the reboot phase. She will be heavily favored to win the 10th stakes of her career Saturday in the $100,000 Adoration Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

The Grade 3 Adoration Stakes was not originally in the plans for Beholder, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2012 and champion 3-year-old filly of 2013. After a win in her 2015 debut in the Santa Lucia Stakes in April, Beholder was entered for the Grade 1 Vanity Stakes on May 9, only to miss the race because of illness.

That kept her from running June 6 in the $1 million Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park.

“She didn’t get that sick,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “We couldn’t go to New York and take a chance on her getting real sick or going in half-ready.”

The Adoration Stakes is run at 1 1/16 miles and drew a field of seven. The only other Grade 1 winner in the field is Warren’s Veneda, who won the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational here in March and was third in a field of four as the 1-10 favorite in the Vanity Stakes.

Key contenders

Beholder (Last 3 Beyers: 98-99-101)

* Beholder has had three starts in the last 53 weeks. She was fourth in the 2014 Phipps, emerging with a cut leg, and was rested for the remainder of the summer. Beholder won the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes last September but missed the Breeders’ Cup Distaff here last October because of illness.

* On Thursday, Mandella said the recent setbacks are behind Beholder, a 5-year-old mare who races for B. Wayne Hughes.

“It was disappointing not to run and make the connection to New York,” he said. “She’s as good as she can be. I think she’s good and ready.”

* Gary Stevens rides Beholder, who always has been handy, capable of running on or near the lead. In the Adoration, she may stalk My Monet, who was third in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for California-breds May 23, or Cast in Silver, who is making her stakes debut after winning three sprints at Golden Gate Fields.

Warren’s Veneda (Last 3 Beyers: 93-99-95)

* Warren’s Veneda was brilliant winning her first three starts of 2015, all in stakes. In the Vanity, she led turning into the stretch but faded in the final furlong to lose by a length to My Sweet Addiction. The loss left trainer Craig Lewis baffled.

“There is no plausible answer,” Lewis said. “They are flesh, blood, and bone.”

* In recent weeks, Warren’s Veneda has had several quick workouts, including five furlongs in 58.80 seconds May 30 and 58.60 June 6.

“She trained great,” Lewis said. “I feel good about her but don’t feel good about the weight situation.”

* Under the conditions of the Adoration, Warren’s Veneda carries 124 pounds, three more than Beholder, for having accomplished more in the last six months. That’s a sign of how far Warren’s Veneda has progressed. A year ago, Warren’s Veneda was fourth in the Adoration. On Saturday, she faces Beholder for the first time.