Two-Time Champion Beholder Out of BC Distaff
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Spendthrift Farm's two-time champion Beholder spiked a temperature of 104 degrees the morning of Oct. 19 and will not be able to defend her title in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park, trainer Richard Mandella said.
"She had a nice work yesterday and seemed to be doing OK, but when we got to the barn this morning she was showing a temperature of 102 degrees. It got up to 104." Mandella said. "We've treated her with penicillin and the temperature has already started to go down.
"We think she's going to be all right," the Hall of Fame trainer added. "But she's out of the race."
Beholder went seven furlongs Oct. 18 at Santa Anita, starting behind two workmates, in a bullet 1:23 4/5 under Mike Smith.
Beholder is scheduled to be sold Nov. 3 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Lexington, Ky.
In a statement later released by Spendthrift, Mandella said the decision to take Beholder out of consideration for the Breeders' Cup with pre-entries due Monday, Oct. 20, was made in consulation with Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey.
"As disappointed and sad as we are about the fact that we aren't going to get to run, we can't have any negative feelings about Beholder because she's been so good to us," Mandella said. "We'll monitor her and give her the proper care until plans are made to fly her to Kentucky to go through the November sale at Fasig-Tipton."
The 4-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes out of the Tricky Creek mare Leslie's Lady would have likely been favored Oct. 31 to successfully repeat her Distaff victory of last year, which followed a triumph in the 2012 Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I).
Beholder is the second major defection from the Breeders' Cup. Two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan was recently ruled out of defending his title in the Breeders Cup Mile (gr. IT) Nov. 1 because of an ankle injury.
A 10-time winner from 15 starts with earnings of $3,368,300, Beholder won Eclipse Awards in 2012 as outstanding juvenile filly and in 2013 as outstanding 3-year-old filly.
She has had a difficult year, however, bruising a pastern in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (gr. I) in her second start of the season at Belmont Park June 7. She returned from the injury with a victory in the Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Sept. 27 and had been training forwardly for her next Breeders' Cup assault.