Beholder, Warren's Veneda Face Off in Vanity

While boxing still lingers in the public's collective consciousness, a fight analogy seems the best way to describe the $300,000 Vanity Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park May 9.



The 1 1/8-mile dirt test for fillies and mares presents two opposing forces. In one corner stands the established champion—Spendthrift Farm's two-time Eclipse Award winner and six-time grade I victress Beholder. In the other corner is the upstart challenger, Benjamin Warren's late-blooming homebred Warren's Veneda, who has dominated Santa Anita's filly and mare races in 2015.



They even have opposing styles.



Beholder likes to operate forwardly-placed, but can come from just off the pace, like she did in the 2014 Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I), the 2013 Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), and in her 2015 debut, when she cruised to victory in the Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita. She also doesn't mind flashing speed, like she did in 2013's wire-to-wire Zenyatta performance, the 2013 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I), and her first grade I score—the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2012.



BALAN: Beholder Breezes to Santa Lucia Victory



Warren's Veneda prefers to stalk and pounce in the final turn, as she did with impressive Santa Maria (gr. II) and Santa Margarita (gr. I) wins, the latter a 7 1/4-length victory in her first grade I try.

BALAN: Warren's Veneda Strikes Again in 'Margarita'



They also differ in career arcs. Both are 5-year-old mares, but Beholder—a daughter of Henny Hughes—has been a standout since the age of 2. Warren's Veneda, a California-bred by Affirmative, didn't race at all as a 2-year-old, broke her maiden in her second start as a 3-year-old at Hollywood Park, then went 1-for-14 in stakes races until her three straight stakes scores in 2015.



Trainer Craig Lewis compares the early progression of Warren's Veneda to a high schooler who wasn't at top form early, but is thriving at a later age. She isn't still wearing her letterman's jacket, clinging to prior glory.



"She's always been gifted, from when she started training," Lewis said. "She continued to mature, and got better and more confident with age. Some are more precocious than others, but they never get any better. It's like teenagers who peaked in high school."



It's an analogy Lewis is not making about Beholder, however. The trainer has more than enough respect for the mare who has been close to unbeatable at Santa Anita, where she is 9-for-10 with almost $3 million in earnings.



"She's deserving of all the accolades," Lewis said of the Richard Mandella trainee. "Now we're going to see if we fit. It's all possible, but we're going to have to see how it shakes out. She might be too much for us."



For Mandella, this is the first true test for Beholder's 5-year-old campaign, which he hopes will be somewhat redemptive. The champion only raced three times as a 4-year-old, including wins in the Zenyatta and Santa Lucia, but finished fourth in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park last June, when she had an injury in her hind leg—"She cut a big hole in her pastern. That's a pretty good excuse," Mandella said—then was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) because of a sickness that caused a high temperature, high white blood cell count, and inflammation in her lungs.



"She's as good as she's ever been," Mandella said of the mare's current condition. "It was disappointing that we couldn't (run in the Breeders' Cup last year), but it wasn't disappointment in her. She doesn't owe us anything. We owe her."



The redemptive aspect will hopefully begin for Beholder in the Ogden Phipps on Belmont Stakes Day, a race that hasn't sat well with her connections since last year's edition. Lewis also said he'd be interested in participating in the same race, as long as Warren's Veneda shows well in the Vanity. It would be the California-bred's first start outside of the Golden State—a span of 22 starts.



"If she were to be competitive against Beholder, it's probable she'll run on Belmont Day," Lewis said. "It's all going to depend on what shakes out Saturday."



The Beholder camp is also using their opponent as a measuring stick.



"(Warren's Veneda) looked very impressive in her races," Mandella said. "Until we beat her, we can just think we can. I wouldn't trade with anybody, but we don't know who the best mare is. Saturday we'll find out."



In a field of five, Warren's Veneda drew the rail with jockey Tyler Baze, who will make his seventh straight start on the mare and will carry the high weight of 124 pounds. Beholder will break from post 3 with Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens and carry 121 pounds.



The rest of the field—Gas Total, My Sweet Addiction, and Legacy—will all seek their first graded stakes wins and will carry 119 pounds apiece.