The Beholder Mile Grade 1

Purse $300.000 For Fillies And Mares Four Years Old And Upward

Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, Ca

When you look down and see only seven horses signed up for a grade 1 stakes you get the feeling that it will be an easy race to handicap, especially on a track known for ages to carry speed, but that simply isn’t the case for Saturday’s Beholder Stakes. Obviously, tactics can change and once the gates open up the best of plans can quickly disappear, so maybe it will become a jockey’s race? On paper it looks like several horses want the lead or a piece of it, so let’s look at four-year-old Eilonwy from Twin Towers Racing, that statement alone will shake my regular readers, as they all know how I feel about most four-year-olds in these spots. However, Eilonwy is a closer in a race with a possible pace war and that is always a good thing. She also has run a prep against four-year-old and upgrade 3 types to start her 2026 campaign over this track in a much better than looked effort. She will be the main benefactor if they go nuts on the front end and she should be a price to boot. Reflex Action from The Sidley Stud has earned back-to-back solid numbers going seven panels on the engine and will run and gun in this spot. She is the horse to run down, weather that is early or late. If she can run those numbers out to a flat mile, she is dangerous. Quail Trot from Maxmillion Farm is another four-year-old in a tough spot with an even tougher draw. “Trot” has come around horses on occasion, but her best races have been when she is sent along. Given the outside push bias here and the fact that she just cruised and then opened up on the lead at this track and distance, I’d think she will be sent. The fact also remains that her come from off the pace efforts don’t look strong enough to topple these. Barn change and improvement noted, still a guessing game as to tactics Saturday. Wasted Away from Mb Stables is easily and clearly the class of the field and wins at a nearly 50% clip. However, her best races showing in recent form have been on the engine or right off, moving in early in the race. Bet down to under 10/1 odds in the BC Distaff, only to stop turning into the stretch. Came back with a sub-par effort in her 2026 debut race, a grade 3 in Texas where she faltered when the real running started. Guessing she needs a rest, but with the perennial top barn calling the shots, a big effort would not shock either. Demand some value even though this is clearly not the strongest grade 1 event ever carded.

Of the rest;

Balius from Threshold managed one win during her four-year-old campaign that only saw her start six times. Hard to say how much of the four-year-old jinx she had, but she came out this season and put on a public workout that you could bet on, way down in class. Yes, she only just got up, but the rider had a strong hold the whole way and it was merely an exercise run. Good sign to see her put back up in class. On the rail and she can sit and pounce. Food for thought.

Absent Friends, also from Twin Towers Racing, is quick enough to have had the lead sprinting into a 45.3 half mile. In this spot she looks like a turn and burn to insure a solid pace for her stablemate. Going all the way would be a career best by giant proportions and not too likely to happen.

Boardwalk Authority from Winning Link Stables does not look like she will enjoy the projected pace of this race or the company. I’ll have to pass today.

-Trackman

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES