Vanity Stakes loses Beholder to illness

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arcadia, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Illness has once again forced two-time champion Beholder to be withdrawn from racing this time Saturday's $300,000 Vanity Stakes at Santa Anita. The 1 1/8-mile race is down to four fillies and mares.

Beholder, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella for Spendthrift Farm, spiked a fever Thursday morning and was scratched from her anticipated race against highly regarded Warren's Veneda. Beholder was the 4-5 morning line favorite versus 6-5 second pick Warren's Veneda who will leave from the inside post.

"She's on antibiotics and out of the race," Mandella said who will still saddle Gas Total from post 2 with Flavien Prat in the saddle.

Trained by Craig Lewis, Warren's Veneda won the $400,000 Santa Margarita Stakes on March 14 at Santa Anita to go along with her victory in the Santa Maria Stakes on Feb. 14, The 5-year-old chestnut mare began 2015 by claiming the Paseana Stakes on Jan.11 at Santa Anita.

"She's done everything so easy this year," jockey Tyler Baze said about Warren's Veneda. "Just playing around and having fun, just happy really. Craig's been keeping her happy. She's loving what she's doing.

"In all three of the wins, I got down to ride her a little bit, but she's had her ears pricked forward having fun. She's doing great now and I expect her to run huge."

Owned and bred by Benjamin Warren, Warren's Veneda has earned $827,612 with eight wins in 22 lifetime starts.

Here is the complete field for the Vanity Stakes in post position order: Warren's Veneda, Tyler Baze, 6-5; Gas Total, Flavien Prat, 8-1; Beholder, scratch; My Sweet Addiction, Mike Smith, 6-1 and Legacy, Martin Garcia, 20-1.

The 74th Vanity will have an approximate post time of 5:30 p.m. ET.