Beholder getting closer to season debut

Arcadia, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Champion mare Beholder is getting ever closer to making her 5-year-old debut after missing last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff with an illness.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella indicated Thursday that the two-time Eclipse Award winner is likely to start in the $350,000 Madison Stakes at seven furlongs at Keeneland on April 4.

“She’s six to eight weeks away,” Mandella said. “The Madison is the race we’re considering.”

Beholder, owned by Spendthrift Farm, had her first workout of the year Tuesday when she covered three furlongs in 36.80 seconds.

She had spiked a fever in October that forced her to be withdrawn from defending her title in last year’s Distaff.

Beholder was champion 2-year-old filly of 2012 and 2013 champion 3-year-old filly. She won her second straight Zenyatta Stakes on Sept. 27 at Santa Anita. She won the 2013 Distaff by 4 1/4 lengths over Close Hatches, a finalist for 2014 champion Older Female.

Beholder has won 10 of 15 starts, including the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, for $3,368,300.

Categorized in: Horses