Beholder Delivers Monday 'Maintenance' Work

It may have come one day later than planned but Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) hopeful Beholder completed her serious work Monday, Oct. 26 with a fast five-furlong move at Keeneland.

Kept a bit off the rail through the turn by exercise rider Janeen Painter, Beholder appeared to deliver her best in the stretch as the two-time champion completed five furlongs in :59 2/5 on a fast track at Keeneland. The 5-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes completed the final quarter-mile in :23 2/5.

The early splits were :12 2/5 for the opening furlong, :24 for the quarter, and :36 for three-eighths. She galloped out in 1:12.25. The work was easily the fastest this month for Spendthrift Farm's Beholder, who breezed five furlongs 1:02 Oct. 9 at Santa Anita Park before handily working that same distance Oct. 15 there, again in 1:02.

The five-furlong breeze was fastest of eight at the distance Oct. 26 at Keeneland. Despite Monday's fast time, trainer Richard Mandella characterized the Keeneland move as a maintenance work.

"We just wanted to get some wind in her. It'd been a while between works," Mandella said, adding that for a good horse :59 2/5 is not too fast. "She had a nice time and she looked good. Everything is good so far."

Spendthrift owner B. Wayne Hughes liked what he saw Monday morning, noting that she'll face a tough Classic field. 

"We've given her a pretty difficult task with the colts in that race we're in," Hughes said. "But we're glad to be here and we'll take a shot."

While an off-track Oct. 25 forced Mandella to shift gears from a planned work on Sunday to breezing Beholder on Monday, the Racing Hall of Fame trainer was in good spirits after the five-furlong move. He joked that even though he chose Sunday as the best day to work, Beholder may have thought otherwise.

"I would have preferred yesterday but us trainers don't know exactly what we're doing anyway," Mandella said. "You kind of make it up as you go; there's a lot of making things up as you go."