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Teena Ella gets her maiden victory at Santa Anita (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
By Maribeth Kalinich
ARCADIA, Calif.— Spendthrift Farm’s Beholder got her first winner on the track today at Santa Anita when her 3-year-old daughter, Teena Ella, broke her maiden in her third start.
Under Juan Hernandez Teena Ella was away quickly then steadied and threw her head after crossing back onto the turn. The War Front filly ceded command from between rivals, moved to the inside stalking the top pair, tipped two wide into the stretch, moved out in the lane into second overtaking Foolish under Flavien Prat and drove clear past Irish Rose with Armando Aguilar up for the win by 1 1/4 lengths.
Earning an Equibase Speed Figure of 93, Teena Ella completed the six panels in 1:09.42 for trainer Richard Mandella.
The Spendthrift homebred had her first start Nov. 12, 2022, at Del Mar following up with a close third Jan. 6.
Beholder’s first starter was the famous fan-named Q B One. Wearing the Spendthrift colors and conditioned by Mandella the Uncle Mo colt had four starts, the first Dec. 26, 2021, as a 3-year-old. In his next race on March 27, 2022, the newly gelded dark bay finished a respectable third. Q B One has not made a start since May 14, 2022.
Karin With an I, also a Spendthrift homebred and trained by Mandella as well, was Beholder’s second on the track.
The 4-year-old Curlin filly had her first start April 2, 2022. Under Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez Karin With an I had a slow break and a lackadaisical trip with a seventh-place finish.
Given a bit of time off, her next start under Hector Berrios was Sept. 11, 2022. Bumped repeatedly in the early stages, she saved ground through the turn, then tipped out and failed to rally finishing seventh again.
Mandella has been giving Karin With an I regular works at Santa Anita. In December, 23rd and 30th, she worked six furlongs and three furlongs in 1:14.40 and 36.40, respectively.
In January, the filly worked the 6th and 18th at five furlongs and six furlongs in 1:03.80 and 1:16.20. All workouts were noted as Handily.
In 2020, Beholder was bred to Bolt d’Oro and foaled an unnamed bay filly on February 12, 2021. The champion mare was again bred to Curlin in 2021 and foaled a colt the color of his sire, chestnut, on April 6, 2022. She was bred to Gun Runner in 2022 and is in foal.
Bred in Kentucky by Clarkland Farm, Beholder was campaigned by Spendthrift, trained by Richard Mandella and ridden by Gary Stevens.
Beholder, by Henny Hughes out of the Tricky Creek mare Leslie’s Lady made 26 starts with 18 wins and six second places in her career that spanned four years.
The imperial bay won 11 Grade 1 races in addition to winning other graded and stakes races and placing in still more.
Her wins included three consecutive G1 Zenyatta Stakes with a second in 2016, a win and a second in the G1 Clement L. Hirsch and a win and a second in the G1 TVG Pacific Classic against the boys.
“Queen B” won three Breeders’ Cup races: 2012 Juvenile Fillies, 2013 Distaff, and in 2016 she won the Distaff for the second time, her farewell race.
Beholder is a four-time Eclipse Award Champion: 2012 2 Year Old Filly, 2013 3 Year Old Filly, 2015 Older Mare and 2016 Older Mare.
