Beholder bounces back to win BreedersDistaff

Beholder got the better of the previously unbeaten Songbird in a thrilling climax to the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita.

The Richard Mandella-trained Beholder landed the Grade One prize back in 2013 and returned with strong claims of regaining her crown, despite having been beaten twice by the reopposing Stellar Wind since the summer.

Songbird, winner of each of her 11 previous starts, was sent straight to the lead by Mike Smith, with Gary Stevens happy to sit third aboard Beholder.

The pair settled down to fight it out from the top of the straight and while Songbird gave everything, Beholder had her head down at the right time and gained the narrowest of verdicts.

Stellar Wind blew the start and was always on the back foot as a result, eventually coming home in fourth place.

It was a third Breeders' Cup win overall for Beholder, having also landed the Juvenile Fillies in 2012, and she is now set to be retired to the paddocks.

Stevens said: "It was a heck of a horse race.

"I take my hat off to Songbird as a three-year-old, but I can't say enough about this mare.

"She's six years old and the job Richard has done is unbelievable.

"She's such a smart mare and she gave me that loving feeling. She reads pace as well as any horse I've ever ridden. It was a hell of a way for her to go out."

Mandella said: "It means everything. I've put my life into this. She's just a great horse in so many ways - ability, mind, soundness. She's a great mare."

Smith was delighted with the performance of Songbird in defeat.

"I'm so proud of my filly as she came across the real Beholder today. Even though we lost, it feels like we won as she ran so well and gave me everything," said the jockey.

"I hoped that coming round the turn I would get away from Beholder, but she just stuck at it and we've gone down by a short nose.

"Hopefully Songbird will be around next year. She'll be bigger and stronger and I hope there'll be a lot more to come."

Smith produced Tamarkuz with a well-timed challenge to claim an authoritative success in the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Runhappy took the field along for much of the journey but began to falter before the home turn, leaving hot favourite Dortmund and the consistent Gun Runner to dispute the lead at the top of the straight.

However, all the while Smith was biding his time aboard the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Tamarkuz and after hitting the front in the final furlong, he powered clear to win by a big margin.

Gun Runner was second, with Accelerate coming home well to beat Dortmund to third place.

It was a 23rd Breeders' Cup winner for Smith.

He said: "He was a little bit reluctant to load, but he was brilliant after that.

"He was well within himself and well in hand the whole time. When I asked him down the lane he just gave me that run like he's been doing."

It was a timely first ever winner at Santa Anita for McLaughlin ahead of Frosted's appearance in the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday.

"It feels great and at least we've got the monkey off our back for tomorrow," said the trainer.

"But more than that, it's great to win for Sheikh Hamdan, who has been a great supporter of mine for 23 years.

"Turning for home he looked like he was moving very well. You're never confident in these big races until you get to the wire, but Mike rode a great race."