beholder
champion | be·hold·er | \bi-‘hol-der\
Meaning: the perception of beauty is subjective.
Alternative meaning: A 3x Champion, 9x Grade 1 winning, 2x Breeders’ Cup winning mare
What is in a name? Beholder the racehorse didn’t originate from a place of beauty, to outside observers. Her dam, Leslie’s Lady, was a minor stakes winner, taking the Hoosier Debutante Stakes as a two-year-old. Her sire, Henny Hughes, was a classy sprinter who stood just five years in the United States before being sold abroad.
We at Spendthrift got lucky. In 2006, we purchased Leslie’s Lady’s Harlan’s Holiday colt at the OBS March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. That colt was INTO MISCHIEF, who went on to become a Grade 1 winner and is now swiftly climbing the ranks as one of the top stallions in the United States. With the success of the colt, we set our eyes on the filly. We purchased Beholder as a yearling in 2011 at the Keeneland September Sale. She has been an absolute blessing.
Her accomplishments are astounding, but another thing that absolutely amazes us with Beholder is the dedication her fans have to her. Taking after fellow California-based superstar Zenyatta, Beholder’s fans actively refer to her as “Queen B” and amass in swarms to watch her races.
For these fans, and for this phenomenal mare, we are so grateful. With that in mind, we are launching a blog to follow Beholder’s campaign this year as she embarks on another journey to demonstrate her raw ability and talent, hopefully culminating in a run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. We invite all of her fans and followers to join us on this ride. We will provide insight into her past, present, and future, and keep her fanbase as up to date as we can with all the happenings of Beholder and her human companions. We hope you enjoy the beauty that we found in Beholder as we share her with you.
Beholder will make her return to the races on Sunday, May 8th at Santa Anita Park in the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes. We wish her and the rest of her team the best of luck and look forward to seeing what this season holds in store for our champion.
