Cup notes: Beholder won't be sold, will resume training
ARCADIA, Calif. – Beholder, last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff winner and Kentucky Oaks runner-up, has been withdrawn from the Nov. 3 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale. Instead, according to a tweet by owner Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey, she will resume training after she recovers from the illness that knocked her out of Friday's title defense at Santa Anita.
Toffey also tweeted that "Beholder continues to recover, and while her fever is down and she's acting much better," veterinarians advised the 4-year-old filly not be shipped across the country right now.
Asked what input he had in the decision, trainer Richard Mandella told Santa Anita's publicity department, "Well, the input was her own. She got pretty sick, and the risk of having her get sick again from the stress of shipping (to Kentucky) was just too much to chance, so Mr. (B. Wayne) Hughes decided to keep her and run her again.
"She's doing very well now. She'll be here for a while but eventually we plan to send her to a farm to recover further before bringing her back to the track."
Workouts: It was another big workout day at Santa Anita, where Breeders' Cup Juvenile favorite American Pharoah worked five furlongs in company in a minute flat under jockey Martin Garcia.
Trainer Bob Baffert also sent Breeders' Cup Classic contender Bayern five-eighths of a mile in company with Garcia up in 59 4/5.
The Todd Pletcher-trained Chandelier winner Angela Renee, the likely Juvenile Fillies favorite, worked a half-mile in company with Saint Dermot, going in identical time of 51 1/5 seconds.
Classic-bound Majestic Harbor, the Gold Cup at Santa Anita winner who is owned in part by David Osborne and Lori Hebel-Osborne of Prospect, Ky., worked a half-mile in 48 3/5 for trainer Sean McCarthy, who termed the move "perfect; just right."
Trainer Steve Asmussen's Cup trio went the typical easy half-mile the stable gives its horses the week of a race. West Virginia Derby winner Tapiture (Dirt Mile) and Iroquois winner Lucky Player both went a half-mile in 50 2/5 (working separately), while Kentucky Oaks queen Untapable (Distaff) went in 50 3/5.
Santa Anita's publicity department observes in its press notes that Louisville trainer Dale Romans won't be riding overweight during his Breeders' Cup stint at Santa Anita. Romans said he's 70 pounds lighter than when he was here last year, matching the weight loss of fellow trainer Tom Proctor.
"It's nothing formal," Romans said. "We're good friends and we started losing weight together. I just watch what I eat now; it's better for my health."