Horse
racing: Beholder, jockey Smith shine at Santa Anita
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[November 05, 2016]
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
ARCADIA, California (Reuters) - A
stunning victory by 6-year-old mare Beholder in the final race of
her career and another win for record-setting jockey Mike Smith
stole the limelight on the opening day of the Breeders' Cup on
Friday.
With Gary Stevens on board, Beholder upset the even-money favorite
Songbird in an epic charge down the stretch for the $2 million
Breeders' Cup Distaff, neither horse giving an inch until Beholder
triumphed by a nose in a photo finish.
Beholder, who was scratched from last year's showpiece Breeders' Cup
Classic because of illness when fancied as a chief rival to the
eventual winner American Pharoah, ended her illustrious racing
career with 18 wins from 26 starts.
"I think she had cemented her place in history prior to 2016, and
she just added another star to it today," Stevens said of Beholder,
who started the Distaff as a 3-1 shot.
"I've just never seen a racehorse stay at this peak form, especially
a filly. The show that those two (Beholder and Songbird) just put on
is worth the price of admission for everybody that showed up today.
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"This was horse racing at its best. She (Beholder) laid her heart
out there on the racetrack and gave me absolutely everything that
was running through her veins."
The one lowlight came when Argentina-bred Corona Del Inca had to be
euthanized after fracturing her right front leg during the Distaff.
The 5-year-old mare, who had been reluctant to enter the starting
gate, was pulled up at the top of the stretch by jockey Pablo
Falero, had her leg splinted and was then taken to the track's
equine hospital for further evaluation.
"Sadly the radiographs ... revealed that she had a much more
serious injury than it was apparent on the racetrack," on-call
veterinarian Dr. Scott Palmer said in a statement.
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![](../images/110516pics/sports51.jpg)
Gary Stevens aboard Beholder races alongside Mike Smith aboard
Songbird to the finish line in race nine during the 2016 Breeders
Cup Championships at Santa Anita Park. Mandatory Credit: Richard
Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Nov/05/images/ads/current/brickey_lda_061314.png)
"The nature of these injuries was so severe that there was no way
she could be kept comfortable nor the prognosis be good for
treatment. For those reasons she was euthanized."
Earlier in the day at a sun-bathed Santa Anita Park, Hall of Fame
jockey Smith expertly guided Tamarkuz, an 11-1 shot, to a
come-from-behind victory in the $1 million Dirt Mile to extend his
Breeders' Cup record to 23 race wins.
Tamarkuz surged past Gun Runner in mid stretch to win by
three-and-a-half lengths with Accelerate a neck behind in third and
odds-on favorite Dortmund fourth.
"He (Tamarkuz) didn't break real sharp, but Mike did a great job
with him settling back, and Mike's just a great rider," said trainer
Kiaran McLaughlin. "It was just a great trip."
(Editing by Andrew Both)
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