Mandella Mulling Pacific Classic for Beholder

After Beholder's first workout since a second-place run behind Stellar Wind in the Clement L. Hirsch (gr. I), trainer Richard Mandella is still mulling over whether to send the three-time champion out to defend her title in the Aug. 20 Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar.

Spendthrift Farm's 6-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes logged a five-furlong work Aug. 10 at Del Mar and performed in her usual manner. She earned the rare Southern California "breezing" tag—although not rare for the bay mare—for a bullet :59 flat drill, the fastest of 41 moves at the distance Wednesday morning. Beholder ran the first quarter in :23 1/5 and covered a half-mile in :46 1/5 under jockey Gary Stevens, according to Del Mar clocker Toby Turrell.

"It was meant to be a nice work," Mandella said. "It's never any surprise when she works like that."

The quick breeze puts Mandella in a position to evaluate his top trainee for the next few days to ultimately decide whether to run against the likes of California Chrome   and Dortmund in the Pacific Classic.

"I know what the question is going to be," the Hall of Fame trainer said. "For the next few days, we'll watch her closely to see if there's any regression, to where it would be obvious we wouldn't run her."

The other likely option for Beholder would be to skip the Pacific Classic to take on Stellar Wind again in the Zenyatta (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park in late September. Beholder has won the Zenyatta in three consecutive seasons (2013-15) just like the race's namesake, Zenyatta, did from 2008-10, when the 1 1/16-mile test was called the Lady's Secret (gr. I) at Hollywood Park.