Beholder arrives at Keeneland for date with Classic destiny

TwinSpires Staff

October 19th, 2015

Edited Press Release

Dual champion mare Beholder arrived at Keeneland Monday afternoon for an anticipated match-up with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on October 31.

Beholder, winner of six consecutive races, landed at Blue Grass Airport a little after 1 p.m. (EDT) and arrived at Barn 60 on Rice Road at 1:40 p.m. with trainer Richard Mandella leading her off the van.

Mandella said Beholder, a five-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes, would go to the track Tuesday around 7:15 a.m. for a "simple, short gallop" and would have one work leading up to the 1 1/4-mile Classic.

"It will be four, five or six days out," Mandella said. "It will just be a maintenance work."

Asked if Beholder would work in company, Mandella quipped, "I don't think the pony is fast enough."

Beholder, already a two-time Breeders' Cup winner with victories in the 2012 Juvenile Fillies (G1) and 2013 Distaff (G1), both at Santa Anita, has faced males once in her 20-race career. That was in the $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) in August at Del Mar when she won by 8 1/4 lengths.

Also on the plane with Beholder coming to Barn 60 were Smooth Roller and Dressed in Hermes.

Trainer Victor Garcia was on hand to greet Smooth Roller, winner of the Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita, a triumph that earned him a spot in the gate for the Classic.

Dressed in Hermes, trained by Janet Armstrong, won the Zuma Beach at Santa Anita on October 10 and is a candidate for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) on October 30.

(Beholder photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

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