ARCADIA, Calif. — Royal Delta’s popular victory in the Ladies’ Classic Friday night was the climax of six Breeders’ Cup World Championship races run at Santa Anita. Nine more are on tap Saturday, topped by the $5 million Classic.
In other Friday races:
JUVENILE FILLIES: Beholder, making her first start around two turns, led all the way to defeat three 2-year-old fillies who previously were unbeaten a 11 combined starts. Ridden by Garrett Gomez, the daughter of Henny Hughes set the pace pursued by Kauai Katie, shook off a challenge from Dreaming of Julia on the far turn, then held off the late run of 3-2 favorite Executiveprivilege, who had dead aim with a furlong to run but drifted out in the drive under Rafael Bejarano.
The victory was the seventh in the Breeders’ Cup for Hall of Fame trainer Dick Mandella, who previously won the Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita with Phone Chatter in 1993 and Halfbridled in 2003. Mandella also pre-entered Beholder, winner of her previous start by 11 lengths going six furlongs, in the $500,000 Juvenile Sprint but opted instead for the $2 million Juvenile Fillies.
“Being at her home track sure helps,” Mandella said. “I guess Santa Anita still has the magic.”
Beholder won by a length, running the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.61 to pay $9.80.
FILLY & MARE TURF: In an international field of 11 going 1 1/4 miles, Zagora — trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Javier Castellano — tucked inside behind the early pace, came out for running room in the stretch and clawed past Marketing Mix inside the final furlong to win by three-quarters of a length to pay $20.40.
Marketing Mix held third, a half-length ahead of 8-5 favorite The Fugue, a Euro-invader who was blocked in traffic through much of the stretch run.
JUVENILE SPRINT: Hall-of-Fame legend D. Wayne Lukas, 77, a driving force through much of the Breeders’ Cup’s 29-year history but winless in the Cup since 2005, notched his record 19th Cup victory saddling 15-1 shot Hightail to win the day’s opener, the $500,000 Juvenile Sprint, which was paired down to a five-horse field when Super Ninety Nine was scratched in the morning and South Floyd was scratched at the gate.
“At my age, [the record] is significant,” Lukas said. “
Hightail, previously a maiden after losing his first eight starts, won by a nose over 1-2 favorite Merit Man and had to survive a stewards’ inquiry after those two brushed during a furious stretch duel. Ridden by Rajiv Maragh, Hightail ran the six furlongs in 1:09.75 to pay $32.80.
MARATHON: The 9-year-old Calidoscopio, making his first start outside his native Argentina, came roaring from last in the field of 13 to win the Grade 2, $500,000 Marathon at 1 3/4 miles by 4 1/4 lengths, giving jockey Aaron Gryder his first Breeders’ Cup victory. Trained by Guillermo Frankel, Calidoscopio was coming off a victory in the June 23 General Belgrano at the Hippodromo, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge races that paid his entry fee and $20,000 in expenses for the trip.