Beholder to Make 2016 Debut in Adoration

Trainer Richard Mandella admits he'll be nervous when Beholder makes her way to the gate for her 6-year-old debut May 8 at Santa Anita Park in the $100,000 Adoration Stakes (gr. III).

As much work as any trainer puts into getting a horse back into racing shape off a layoff, there's always that nagging thought—will they be the same?

And for the three-time champion, her standards are pretty high.

"It's always stressful and you worry if they're going to come back as good as they were," Mandella said. "You can train all you want, but you don't really know until they're out there."

The daughter of Henny Hughes and nine-time grade I winner has had 10 timed workouts at Santa Anita since March 1 in preparation for her 2016 debut. Her last was a :37 3/5 three-furlong freshener May 4. She last raced in the Zenyatta (gr. I) Sept. 26, before she was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I).

MITCHELL: Beholder Scratched Out of BC Classic

"She's doing very good," the Hall of Fame conditioner said. "I don't think she's ready for the race of her life, but she's ready to get started and I think she'll run well."

Spendthrift Farm's superstar mare drew the outside post in the field of six for the Adoration and will carry high weight of 124 pounds with regular jockey Gary Stevens aboard. The rest of the field will carry 120 pounds.

In to challenge Beholder is a group that is without a graded stakes win. The stiffest challenger appears to be Sheer Pleasure, the only other stakes winner in the field. The California-bred 4-year-old Birdonthewire filly, owned by Little Red Feather Racing and R/M Racing, won the Dream of Summer Stakes last time out March 27 at Santa Anita, and also has 2015 stakes wins in the Melair and Evening Jewel on her résumé.

Stakes-placed She's Reddy, along with allowance winners Moyo Honey, All Star Bub, and Backintheacademy complete the field.

Beholder, of course, will be expected to romp in the 1 1/16-mile dirt test, just as she did all of last year. She went five-for-five in 2015, including last year's Adoration, a victory over males in the Pacific Classic (gr. I), and her third straight win in the Zenyatta (gr. I).

"From everything I can see, we have the same mare we had last year," Mandella said. "Hopefully, this is the start of a great run."