Beholder wins Breeders' Cup

Front-runner Beholder won the $2 million, 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Fillies on Friday, the fourth race in the two-day, 15-race Breeders' Cup championship at Santa Anita racetrack. The filly trained by Richard Mandella and ridden by Garrett Gomez seized the lead early and fended off a challenge in the stretch from the Bob Baffert-trained Executiveprivilege, who finished second with Rafael Bejarano in the irons. Dreaming of Julia was third. Beholder set the pace throughout, pressing her advantage around the final turn and holding on to win by one length. "She ran her heart out," Mandella said. "It was a big effort and being at her home track sure helps." Gomez said he expected the speedy Beholder to set the pace. "We figured to be on the lead unless someone did something, and she just ran to her style. She's super fast and she relaxed as much as I wanted her to. I tried to sneak away a little on the turn for home and at first she did it, but then she acted like she hit a wall and I got a little nervous. "But when the other filly came to her, she kicked on and gave me another gear."