Breeding & Racing Magazine

Beholder Wins Another Eclipse

Recently retired champion mare Beholder claimed her fourth Eclipse award when she was named champion older female during Saturday’s awards ceremony at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Richard Mandella for B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm, Beholder bowed out with a memorable swansong victory over the previously unbeaten champion filly Songbird in the $2 million Gr1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park in November. Her remarkable record boasted 18 wins and 6 placings from 26 starts for US$6,156,600 in earnings. She will be remembered as one of the greatest US mares of the modern era with 11 wins at Gr1 level, namely the Gr1 Breeders' Cup Distaff - twice, Gr1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Gr1 Vanity Mile Stakes, Gr1 Zenyatta Stakes, Gr1 Pacific Classic, Gr1 Clement L Hirsch Stakes, Gr1 Ogden Phipps Stakes, Gr1 Kentucky Oaks, Gr1 Santa Anita Oaks, and Gr1 Santa Ynez Stakes.