Be Hold Her
 

One of the finest filly or mare's that I have seen race in my lifetime, and I am over 60, a grade 1 winner at 2 ,3 4 ,5 and 6, a dual BC winner a 3 time eclipse Champion, this is a very special and very rare animal, enjoy her while you can, you will probably never ever see another horse do what she has done consistently from 2 to 6yrs old, Good Luck today against a great Stellar Wind, and can't wait for Beholder to meet the boys again in The Pacific Classic.....The Queen is back, Long Live the Queen

not her usual today, hopefully her best is still to come

Didn't look like herself in post parade. Everybody's entitled to an off day.:)

She looked uncomfortable on the lead...:(

zenyatta never had one

She was one of the rare ones that showed up every time.:tro::)

Sometimes you feel like going to work, sometimes you don't.:)

She's getting older and lost to a better horse today.
Stellar Wind should have won the Distaff and is still improving. She's the leader of the division out west moving forward.

Stevens: "No excuse. Dick (Mandella) had the best quote, 'It's a lot easier to leave them in the barn.'"

especially when it's warm out :p

You know it!!!:D Don't mind working in sub-zero weather but HATE summer humidity and heat!

still would like to think the Beholder who destroyed males in the Pac Classic, would still be able to hold off a Stellar Wind on an off day

Victor Espinoza has bitch slapped Gary Stevens twice on the biggest stage in two straight weeks. Maybe he is too old to ride now.

Which I assume they'll do for the Pacific Classic now.

Not sure why Gary kind of rated her like that, i mean she let that horse be glued to her hip, i would rather see her go faster and if Victor wants to try a style that is completely new to SW then let go, but basically turning it into a sprint to the finish, with a horse who can make up lengths in the stretch was a bad plan. Took away her speed IMO, took away her advantage.

He didn't "rate her", he just let her do her thing and banked on her being best. If he sends her and she opens up 5 and gets tired people are killing him then. Victor had a great ride, but Stevens didn't do anything wrong. The horse got beat on the square by a nice filly.

This obsession by racing fans of grasping for an excuse any time a big favorite gets beat is a disease. Beholder lost by a half-length to a fellow champion. It happens. She didn't have a "bad day" and Gary Stevens certainly didn't get her beat. She just lost narrowly to a fellow good horse in a terrific race. It doesn't need to be microanalyzed beyond that.

Very, very good stuff. (and I say that as a huge fan of Beholder.)

We've gotten to see some outstanding horse races in the past week. CC vs Dortmund, Songbird vs Carina Mia, and now Beholder vs Stellar Wind.

Very little doubt about that. Hate to say it, but I could definitely see a fake "injury" coming out of this race followed by immediate retirement. Hope I'm wrong.

Right. Because that's how Richard Mandella and B. Wayne Hughes operate.

Do you believe she's going to the Pacific Classic as scheduled?

Isn't that an entirely different subject and don't we all understand plans are tenative and fluid?

Yes, which is basically what I said in my original post.

She has been the mark of consistency and has been at or near the top of US horses, male or female, for 3 years now, but a warhorse she is not. Take out her 3-year-old season, and she's averaged less than 4 starts per year. It's incredibly sporting that they keep bringing her back, but they've been careful with her to say the least. In my opinion, it's a good possibility she could be done racing after this one. I hope like heck she's not, but it's certainly not some preposterous thought.

Does any race she has run this year give her a prayer vs the big horse Dortmund?
Plus that other good horse Chrome will be running.

Ditto, she will be back

Just saw the figures, race was a crawl till the quarter pole. I don't think that is her best style but others are entitled to their opinion.