SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – By far the biggest round of applause at the National Racing Museum’s Hall of Fame presentation Friday morning was for a race video clip that people might have missed. watch many times.
Of beer (Henny Hughes) first career win over previously undefeated champion Songbird (Medaglia d’Oro) in 2016’s GI Breeder’s Cup Distaff was almost as captivating on the big screen at the Fasig-Tipton sales booth as it was live at Santa Anita Park. As for the absolute drama, it ranked with the end of Distaff in 1988 when Personal Ensign (Separate Account) rallied to beat winners Goodbye Halo (Halo) and GI Kentucky Derby Win Colors (Caro) ) to complete his career undefeated.
With an impressive array of stats, Beholder and seven other members of the Class of 2022 entered the Personal Ensign in the Hall of Fame, which sits just across from Union Ave. from the historic Saratoga Racecourse. Beholder and Tepin (Bernstein) elected by voters in the Hall of Fame in the contemporary division; Hillsdale (Take Away), Royal Heroine (Ire) (Lypheor {GB}) and coach Oscar White were selected by the Historical Review Committee; Three people were honored in the Pillar of the pitch category: James Cox Brady, Marshall Cassidy and James Ben Ali Haggin.
This year’s event had a smaller audience than usual, possibly because no contemporary dance coaches or players were featured. All four of the race’s highest honor recipients for their distinguished careers, have been dead for decades. Haggin, a notable owner and breeder who at one time owned 1,500 brood rabbits, was born 200 years ago.
Beholder, owned by the late Spendthrift farm of B. Wayne Hughes and coached by Richard Mandella, completed his brilliant career with an 18-6-0 record in 26 starts and earned 6,156 .600 dollars. She is a four-time champion, winning three Breeders’ Cup races and a total of 11 Class I races. She has won at least one Class I in each of her five seasons on the track.
Eric Gustavson, Hughes’ son-in-law and chairman of Spendthrift. “Beholder is now in the Hall of Fame, so what you get feels like I’m campaigning for her to join.”
Gustavson cited a number of high points in Beholder’s career and credited the names of those who have worked with her, starting with herders, Fred and Nancy Mitchell of Clarkland Ranch. He said Mandella, who had to miss the ceremony because he tested positive for Covid-19, deserves credit for Beholder’s success, “for his virtuoso riding, patience and ability Beholder’s incredible career judgment and management. Thanks, Richard. “
Gustavson said: “I once heard Richard say, ‘I can’t get out of horses that God won’t let in. “Well, thank God for giving Beholder so many talents. And thank you to Richard for doing it all.”
When he started talking about Hughes, who passed away in August 2021, Gustavson paused for 9 seconds to regain his composure.
“You should be standing here right now instead of me,” Gustavson said. “And although we regret it, he did not get to see Beholder win her final honor. We take comfort in remembering how much Beholder means to Wayne. You see, Wayne was never too attached to his racehorses. They mean a lot to him, but he’s not the type to allow his emotions to show up during the ride. Until that Beholder is. She changed him in that respect. After Beholder’s impressive victory over the boys in 2015 [GI] Pacific Classic, Wayne said: ‘I’ve had a few good horses before, but she was the first one that made me feel lucky to be an owner. I’ve never had that feeling before. I think that’s called pride. ‘”
Owner Robert Masterson celebrates Tepin’s Hall of Fame event at the site where he bought her for $140,000 just over a decade ago. She emerged as a championship field horse at the age of 4, winning 11 of her last 15 races, including the G1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, the second of three victories over men. and won two division titles.
“One thing about Tepin that I really admire is that the more she races and the more success she achieves, the more she seems to get from people,” Masterson said. “The fans seem to be starting to really love her. I first realized it when she overcame a lack of 13 years to win 2nd place [Hillsborough S.] at Tampa Bay Downs. When she crossed the finish line, there was only a round of applause. It was like a climax at the end of a very nice concert. And when she won Woodbine in Canada beating the boys in grade I [Woodbine Mile S.], we were having a trophy presentation, and we stopped the trophy presentation to realize the fans were shouting, ‘Tepin. Tepin. Tepin. ‘ It was an appreciation from the Canadian fans. “
He continued, “Then again when she finished second in Division I at Santa Anita at the Breeders Cup [2016 Mile], as she left, to go back to the barn, the stands started to move, ‘Tepin. Tepin. Tepin. ‘ I think it’s because she finished the final quarter of that Breeders Cup, the fastest quarter ever recorded on the pitch at Santa Anita. And fans really appreciate it even though she’s already half cut.”
Masterson told a story about seeing a family in Saratoga wearing homemade Tepin jerseys and said she had a bar named for her at the track after her score at Royal Ascot.
“On behalf of Tepin and myself, I want to thank all the fans who came to watch and react so positively to her and loved watching her race,” Masterson said. “I want to thank Mark Casse and his son Norm for the amazing coaching work they did for her. I want to thank Julien Leparoux for the travels. i want to thank [David] Greathouse for helping me find her right here during the much-anticipated Fasig-Tipton sale. And I would like to thank the Hall of Fame committee for recognizing her accomplishments and voting her into the Hall of Fame. It’s an honor. “
