Beholder and Midnight Storm Gallop to Grade One Wins

The Weekend Wrap-Up | June 5-6, 2016

Beholder Adds Vanity Mile Stakes to Record of Wins

Richard Mandella-trained powerhouse Beholder galloped to win the Gr.1 Vanity Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, June 6. The win came against a field of five over the dirt on the main track. In her second start of the year, the Vanity Mile marks the mare’s tenth Grade One victory and eighth consecutive win since September 2014.

“She continues to amaze us all,” expressed Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. “There was a time when we didn’t think she’d go long. She seems to adjust to what we’re doing.”

Gary Sherlock-trained Lost Bus lead the field through the opening half mile, posting shockingly slow fractions of :25.03 and :49.31. From there, Beholder took over and ran through 1:12.53, 1:23.99 and a final time of 1:35.97.

“I almost wondered if it was a mistake when I saw 25,” Mandella said of the opening quarter. “I didn’t think you could do that. But you’ve seen her work. She’ll work really slow if we want, and she’ll work fast if we want. She’s really turned into a professional.”

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens was also surprised by the pace. “If someone told me before the race that we would go in twenty five for the first quarter I would say ‘no way.’ I thought we would go in sub twenty three, forty five and change for the second and I thought the final time would be under 1:34. Twenty five is legit, forty nine is legit, but I think that’s the fastest last three-eighths I’ve ever run in my life and she was lovin’ every minute of it.”

Runner-up Stellar Wind had Triple Crown winning jockey Victor Espinoza in the irons, as per usual, and finished a respectable 1 ½ lengths behind the winner. This was the first time the 4-year-old daughter of Curlin had ever faced Beholder. Despite getting caught on the rail for a portion of her trip, Stellar Wind gave a strong effort and was game to the wire.

“She ran an awesome race. I’m excited for her. She came back better than before. She had a little more focus in the race, and everything went right today,” Espinoza said of the John Sadler trainee.

As for Beholder, her connections are eyeing a start in the Pacific Classic once again. However, before she takes on the boys, the 6-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes will look to defend her title in the Gr.1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar on July 30th, per Richard Mandella.

Midnight Storm Scores First Grade One Win in Shoemaker Mile

After finishing 7th in last month’s Gr.1 Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs, Philip D’Amato-trained Midnight Storm bounced back to win the $400,000 Gr.1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita Park this past Saturday. The 5-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile won by a half length in wire-to-wire fashion over a six-horse field that included Heart to Heart and Home Run Kitten.

Midnight Storm set fractions of :22.68, :46.00, 1:09.95, 1:21.75 and a final time of 1:33.55. Tourist, piloted by Jose Lezcano, tracked in third and got up to finish second 4 ¼ lengths ahead of Twentytwentyvision and Flavien Pratt, who settled for third.

“I knew Heart to Heart was going to try for the lead, and if I let him get to the lead, he’d control it,” explained winning Jockey Rafael Bejarano. “My horse is tough to control and I don’t want to fight with him, so I let him run a little bit into the first turn. After that I tried to get him relaxed. I had plenty of horse and he just took off.”

Winning trainer Philip D’Amato knew the lead was of no concern the moment he saw Midnight Storm’s ears pricked forward. “It’s vindication, because I thought he should have won it last year,” D’Amato said, referencing the runner’s second place finish to Talco, who won by exactly the same margin. “He was kind of up against it, but he’s vindicated, and now he’s a Grade I winner. Onward to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Midnight Storm is owned by A Venneri Racing, Inc. and Little Red Feather Racing, and currently holds a record of 16-6-3-0 with $831,110 in career earnings. The win marked the Kentucky-bred’s third graded stakes victory and first grade one victory.

Part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In Challenge Series, the Shoemaker Mile grants the winning horse a spot in the starting gate of the Breeders’ Cup Mile, which will be held at Santa Anita Park in November.