Beholder beats Songbird by a nose to win $2 million Distaff at Breeders’ Cup.
ARCADIA, Calif. — For the last quarter of a mile, Songbird and Beholder refused to yield. They ran neck and neck, with their Hall of Fame jockeys looking for the tiniest edge.
Gary Stevens, aboard Beholder, called it “just a street fight.”
The 6-year-old mare landed the final blow, with Beholder edging Songbird by a nose in the $2 million Distaff on opening day of the Breeders’ Cup on Friday at Santa Anita.
Even jockey Mike Smith had to agree it was “an amazing, amazing race” after his 3-year-old filly Songbird lost for the first time in 12 races.
“It was fun to be part of a battle,” Stevens said. “The show that those two just put on is worth the price of admission for everybody that showed up. This was horse racing at its best.”
It was a thrilling finish to the four Cup races, three of which involved New Yorkbased longshots winning on an 80-degree day.
Nine Cup races will be run Saturday, capped by the $6 million Classic in which California Chrome is the early favorite.
Beholder ran 1 miles in 1:49.20 and paid $8.60, $3.60 and $3 as the 3-1 third choice.
“I’ve had some good feelings in racing, but this is tops right here,” said Stevens, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner.
It was Beholder’s third Cup victory, having won the Distaff in 2013 and the Juvenile Fillies in 2012. She was supposed to have run in last year’s Classic at Keeneland against male horses but developed a fever.
The Distaff was Beholder’s final race, ending on her home track, where she never was worse than second in 16 starts at Santa Anita. She finished with 18 career victories. The 6-year-old mare is a three-time Eclipse Award winner.
“She was really at her best,” Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said.
Songbird returned $3.20 and $2.80 as the even-money favorite. The loss spoiled her 11-0 career record.
“You saw the real Beholder show up today, maybe even the best race she ever ran in her life,” Smith said, “and she had to do it to beat us.”
Forever Unbridled was another 1¼ lengths back in third.
Stellar Wind, the 5-2 second choice who finished second last year, finished fourth in the eight-horse field.
Argentina-bred Corona Del Inca was euthanized after suffering multiple fractures of her right front leg in the race.
The mare’s injuries were much more serious than it appeared after she was pulled up at the top of the stretch by jockey Pablo Falero, according to oncall veterinarian Dr. Scott Palmer.
The day’s biggest upset belonged to Smith aboard 11-1 shot Tamarkuz, who won the $1 million Dirt Mile by 3½ lengths for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. It was Smith’s 23rd career Cup victory; he leads all jockeys in victories and money won in the world championships.
In the $1 million Juvenile Turf, 6-1 shot Oscar Performance won by 1¼ lengths, giving jockey Jose Ortiz and trainer Brian Lynch their first Cup victories.
Trained by Chad Brown, 6-1 shot New Money Honey won the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf by a half-length under Javier Castellano.