Beholder Breezes Half-Mile in :47

Spendthrift Farm's Beholder turned in her final bit of serious work for the Aug. 20 TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (gr. I) when she worked a half-mile Aug. 16 at Del Mar through a substantial fog that blanketed the seaside track. The daughter of Henny Hughes went a half-mile in :47.

 

With regular exercise rider Janeen Painter up, the three-time Eclipse Award winner was among the first to go trackside at 6:30 a.m. following the first renovation break and she began her exercise by jogging with a pony before breaking off at the half-mile pole.

 

"We just couldn't get any splits because of the fog," said clocker Toby Turrell. "But we think our time was pretty close. We (there were four clockers working) all agreed that it rated a "B" for breezing. She was well within herself."

 

Trainer Richard Mandella watched the work from the grandstand and said he caught his 6-year-old in :12 from the eighth pole to the wire, then had her galloping out to the seven-eighths pole in :25 1/5.

 

Told of the clocker's "official" time afterwards, Mandella said he'd prefer to not agree.

 

"I don't think she did any :47 this morning," he said. "Maybe :48 or even :49. But they're going to put what they want to put. It's fine with me."

 

Beholder, the winner of last year's Pacific Classic, may face a tougher assignment this year with Horse of the Year California Chrome   and stakes star Dortmund among those expected in the lineup.

 

"We didn't want to do anything special with her this morning," said Mandella, the Hall of Fame trainer who has won the Pacific Classic four times. "We just wanted to stretch her legs a little bit. She's done well with easy works in front of her races in the past.

 

"I told Janeen she could break her off from the half (mile pole), the three (furlong pole) or the quarter (mile pole) and work her a half from wherever. I just didn't want another horse buzzing her and stirring her up. I said just find a quiet spot and go. It worked out perfect."

 

When Mandella met Beholder and Painter back at the barn following the exercise, he asked his rider how she went.

 

Painter, who has worked for the Mandella barn since 1998, just shook her head from side to side in amazement.

 

"Oh, boy. Oh, man," was her comment.

 

Post positions for the Pacific Classic will be drawn this evening at the Brigantine restaurant overlooking the track. A field of eight runners is likely.