The Beholder Mile Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three and up. It is run over a distance of one mile on the dirt each year in March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

Quick Facts Location, Inaugurated ...
Beholder Mile Stakes
Grade I race
LocationSanta Anita Park
Arcadia, California, USA
Inaugurated1940 (as Vanity Handicap)
Race typeThoroughbredFlat racing
Websitewww.santaanita.com
Race information
Distance1 mile (8 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationFillies & Mares, Three-years-old & Up
WeightAllowance
Purse$500,000 (2022)[1]
Close

History

The event was inaugurated in 1940 as the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California over the current distance of one mile.

In 1968 Gamely won carrying a record weight for a winner of 131 pounds in the race. Her owner William Haggin Perry had the three placegetters in the race which carried a record high stakes amount for the fillies and mares of $79,650.[2]

Originally an open handicap for fillies and mares aged three years and up, in 1987 it was changed to an invitational handicap for selected fillies and mares. Over the next three decades, the race switched between open handicap and invitational handicap formats. Following the closure of Hollywood Park, the race moved to Santa Anita Park in 2014. In that same year, the event was changed from the handicap format to a weight-for-age race with allowances for horses who had not recently won a graded stakes race.[3]

In 2016 it was announced that the race would be renamed the Vanity Mile and the distance reduced accordingly. In 2017 it was announced that the race would be renamed after the Champion Mare Beholder.[4][1]

The race is normally run on dirt, except between 2007 and 2013 when Hollywood Park used a synthetic Cushion Track surface.[1]

The race was not run in 1942 and 1943 due to wartime restrictions.

Distance

The race has since been contested at various distances:

  • 1 mile – 1940; 2016–present;
  • 1+116 miles – 1941, 1944–1949, 1951–1953;
  • 1+18 miles – 1950, 1954–1985, 1988–2015;
  • 1+14 miles – 1986–1987.

Records

Time record:

  • 1:35.60 for 1 mile – Unique Bella (2018)
  • 1:46.20 for 1+18 miles – Princess Rooney (1984)

Most wins:

Winners since 1972

More information Year, Winner ...
Year
Winner
Age
Weight
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time
Distance
(miles)
Purse
Beholder Mile Stakes
2024 Sweet Azteca 4 122 Flavien Prat Michael McCarthy Pamela Ziebarth 1:36.40 1 $500,000
2023 A Mo Reay 4 122 Flavien Prat Brad H. Cox Hunter Valley Farm 1:36.25 1 $500,000
2022 As Time Goes By 5 122 Flavien Prat Bob Baffert Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith 1:37.55 1 $500,000
2021 Swiss Skydiver 4 124 Robby Albarado Kenneth McPeek Peter J. Callahan 1:36.18 1 $300,000
2020 Ce Ce 4 121 Victor Espinoza Michael W. McCarthy Bo Hirsch LLC 1:37.33 1 $400,000
2019 Secret Spice 4 121 Geovanni Franco Richard Baltas Little Red Feather Racing 1:38.39 1 $400,000
2018 Unique Bella 4 121 Mike E. Smith Jerry Hollendorfer Don Alberto Stable 1:35.60 1 $400,000
2017 Stellar Wind 5 126 Victor Espinoza John W. Sadler Hronis Racing LLC 1:36.14 1 $400,000
Vanity Mile Stakes
2016 Beholder 6 123 Gary Stevens Richard E. Mandella Spendthrift Farm 1:35.97 1 $400,000
Vanity Stakes
2015 My Sweet Addiction 5 119 Mike E. Smith Martin F. Jones Pamela C. Ziebarth 1:49.73 1+18 $300,000
2014 Iotapa 4 119 Joe Talamo John W. Sadler Hronis Racing 1:47.64 1+18 $300,000
Vanity Handicap / Vanity Invitational Handicap
2013 Byrama (GB) 4 117 Gary Stevens Simon Callaghan Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners 1:51.40 1+18 $250,000
2012 Love Theway Youare 4 115 Garrett Gomez Myung Kwon Cho Myung Kwon Cho 1:51.10 1+18 $250,000
2011 Blind Luck 4 123 Garrett Gomez Jerry Hollendorfer Hollendorfer/Dedomenico/Carver/Abruzzo 1:50.89 1+18 $250,000
2010 Zenyatta 6 129 Mike E. Smith John Shirreffs Jerry & Ann Moss 1:49.01 1+18 $250,000
2009 Zenyatta 5 129 Mike E. Smith John Shirreffs Jerry & Ann Moss 1:48.15 1+18 $300,000
2008 Zenyatta 4 124 Mike E. Smith John Shirreffs Jerry & Ann Moss 1:49.51 1+18 $300,000
2007 Nashoba's Key 4 118 Joe Talamo Carla Gaines Warren B. Williamson 1:48.83 1+18 $300,000
2006 Hollywood Story 5 118 David R. Flores John Shirreffs George Krikorian 1:48.55 1+18 $300,000
2005 Splendid Blended 3 120 Jerry D. Bailey Neil D. Drysdale Peter Vegso Racing 1:49.33 1+18 $300,000
2004 Victory Encounter 4 116 Alex Solis John W. Sadler Tom Mankiewicz 1:48.28 1+18 $250,000
2003 Azeri 5 127 Mike E. Smith Laura de Seroux A. Paulson Living Trust 1:48.48 1+18 $250,000
2002 Azeri 4 125 Mike E. Smith Laura de Seroux A. Paulson Living Trust 1:48.88 1+18 $250,000
2001 Gourmet Girl 6 119 Gary Stevens Pico Perdomo Gary A. Tanaka 1:49.21 1+18 $250,000
2000 Riboletta 5 123 Chris McCarron Eduardo Inda Aaron & Marie Jones 1:48.54 1+18 $300,000
1999 Manistique 4 122 Chris McCarron John Shirreffs 505 Farms 1:48.06 1+18 $400,000
1998 Escena 5 124 Jerry D. Bailey William I. Mott Allen E. Paulson 1:48.00 1+18 $350,000
1997 Twice the Vice 5 121 Chris McCarron Ronald W. Ellis Martin & Pam Wygod 1:46.40 1+18 $400,000
1996 Jewel Princess 4 120 Corey Nakatani Wallace Dollase Richard & Martha Stephen 1:47.00 1+18 $250,000
1995 Private Persuasion 4 114 Gary Stevens Dan Hendricks Martin & Pam Wygod 1:48.20 1+18 $300,000
1994 Potridee 5 114 Alex Solis Ron McAnally Leslie Grimm 1:48.08 1+18 $300,000
1993 Re Toss 6 115 Eddie Delahoussaye Henry M. Moreno Arthur & Larry Risdon 1:47.92 1+18 $300,000
1992 Paseana 5 127 Chris McCarron Ron McAnally Sidney H. Craig 1:48.06 1+18 $300,000
1991 Brought To Mind 4 120 Pat Valenzuela Ron McAnally Tadahiro Hotehama 1:48.50 1+18 $200,000
1990 Gorgeous 4 124 Eddie Delahoussaye Neil D. Drysdale Robert N. Clay 1:48.20 1+18 $200,000
1989 Bayakoa 5 125 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Ron McAnally Janis & Frank Whitham 1:47.20 1+18 $200,000
1988 Annoconnor 4 114 Corey Black John Gosden Morton Fink & Roy Gottlieb 1:49.20 1+18 $200,000
1987 Infinidad 5 113 Corey Black Charles E. Whittingham Arthur B. Hancock III 2:00.60 1+14 $200,000
1986 Magnificent Lindy 4 116 Chris McCarron Neil Drysdale Paula L. Tucker 2:02.00 1+14 $200,000
1985 Dontstop Themusic 5 118 Ángel Cordero Jr. Randy Winick Mr. & Mrs. Albert Broccoli 1:47.80 1+18 $200,000
1984 Princess Rooney 4 120 Eddie Delahoussaye Neil Drysdale Paula L. Tucker 1:46.20 1+18 $200,000
1983 A Kiss for Luck 4 114 Chris McCarron Jerry Fanning Paula L. Tucker 1:49.20 1+18 $200,000
1982 Sangue 4 120 Bill Shoemaker Henry M. Moreno R. Charlene Parks 1:48.00 1+18 $200,000
1981 Track Robbery 5 120 Patrick Valenzuela Robert L. Wheeler Summa Stable 1:47.00 1+18 $200,000
1980 It's In The Air 4 120 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Laz Barrera Harbor View Farm 1:47.00 1+18 $150,000
1979 It's In The Air 3 113 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Laz Barrera Harbor View Farm 1:47.40 1+18 $125,000
1978 Afifa 4 113 Bill Shoemaker Gene Cleveland Swiftsure Stable 1:46.40 1+18 $125,000
1977 Cascapedia 4 129 Sandy Hawley Gordon C. Campbell Bernard J. Ridder 1:47.60 1+18 $100,000
1976 Miss Toshiba 4 120 Fernando Toro Thomas A. Pratt Robert Sangster 1:48.00 1+18 $100,000
1975 Dulcia 6 118 Bill Shoemaker Charles E. Whittingham Helen G. Stollery 1:47.40 1+18
1974 Tallahto 4 126 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Charles E. Whittingham Elizabeth A. Keck 1:47.00 1+18
1973 Convenience 5 121 John L. Rotz Willard L. Proctor Glen Hill Farm 1:47.80 1+18
1972 Convenience 4 121 Jerry Lambert Willard L. Proctor Glen Hill Farm 1:47.80 1+18
Close
  Dirt  All Weather Track (Cushion Track)
  At Santa Anita Park  At Hollywood Park Racetrack

Earlier winners

  • 1971 : Hi Q.
  • 1970 : Commissary
  • 1969 : Desert Law
  • 1968 : Gamely[2]
  • 1967 : Desert Love
  • 1966 : Khal Ireland
  • 1965 : Jalousie
  • 1964 : Star Maggie
  • 1963 : Table Mate
  • 1962 : Linita
  • 1961 : Perizade
  • 1960 : Silver Spoon
  • † 1959 : Zevs Joy / Tender Size
  • 1958 : Annie-Lu-San
  • 1957 : Annie-Lu-San
  • 1956 : Mary Machree
  • 1955 : Countess Fleet
  • 1954 : Bubbley
  • 1953 : Fleet Khal
  • 1952 : Two Lea
  • 1951 : Bewitch
  • 1950 : Next Move
  • 1949 : Silver Drift
  • 1948 : Hemet Squaw
  • 1947 : Honeymoon
  • 1946 : Be Faithful
  • 1945 : Busher
  • 1944 : Happy Issue
  • ‡1943 : Race not held
  • ‡1942 : Race not held
  • 1941 : Painted Veil
  • 1940 : Etolia II

Notes:
† Run in two divisions in 1959.
‡ Race not held due to World War II

References

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