A Mo Reay battles through the stretch to upset Beholder Mile

In a thrilling finish, New Orleans-based shipper A Mo Reay was up to tag heavily favored local Fun to Dream by a head in Saturday’s main event at Santa Anita, the Grade 1, $500,000 Beholder Mile.

Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat, A Mo Reay got the mile in 1:36.25 over a main track listed as good.

Attentive to the early pace set by Ganadora and pressed by Fun to Dream, A Mo Reay was 1 1/2 lengths off the lead at the half mile and with Ganadora falling back leaving the quarter pole, she engaged the favorite four-deep turning for home. In a resolute effort, the 4-year-old filly gained the upper hand on the money.

“When you end up winning it is always better,” said Prat, who collected his third win on the day in his first time aboard A Mo Reay. “She really dug in when it was time to run, and she was travelling well all around. I watched her previous race and I talked to Brad (who watched the race from Oaklawn Park) and he was really high on her and really wanted her in this race. He was right.”

A Mo Reay, winner of the Beholder Mile (GI) pic.twitter.com/uaMuZ1X2Ky

— Santa Anita Park (@santaanitapark) March 12, 2023

Fresh off victory at in the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa Stakes (G3) on Feb. 4 at Oaklawn, A Mo Reay was sent off at 7-1 for her first West Coast appearance in a field of eight older fillies and mares. She returned $17.80, $5.20 and $4.60 on $2 win, place and show bets.

“Brad has a great team and they all did a fantastic job,” said Adrian Regan, who is part of the winning ownership that races as Hunter Valley Farm. “It’s the first Grade 1 in our colors, so it’s special. It is just great for the farm … everybody at home. It is unbelievable, really.”

A filly by Uncle Mo out of the Pioneerof the Nile mare Margaret Reay, A Mo Reay is now unbeaten now in three starts for Cox. A Mo Reay, who got her first Grade 1 stakes win and improved her overall mark to 11-5-1-3, picked up $300,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $692,650.

One of three Bob Baffert trainees and the lone California-bred in the lineup, Fun to Dream entered the Beholder Mile on a roll, having won the Grade 1 La Brea and the Santa Monica (G2), both at seven panels, on Dec. 26 and Feb. 2 and was seeking her fifth win in a row.

Off at 4-5 as she stretched out a furlong with Juan Hernandez up, she paid $2.60 and $2.20 while finishing 2 1/4 lengths in front of stablemate Midnight Memories.

Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Midnight Memories was off at 8-1 and paid $4.20 while checking in 1 1/4 lengths in front of comebacking Desert Dawn.

Fractions for the Beholder Mile were 23.19 and 47.14 seconds, 1:10.79 and 1:22.99.