Inside or out, when you’re on the best horse, you have options, and
Garrett Gomez figures he has plenty on imminent Juvenile Fillies
champion of 2012 Beholder when she makes her 3-year-old debut in
Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday feature, the Grade II Santa Ynez
Stakes.
Beholder, who handed then-division leader Executiveprivilege her first defeat in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 2, drew post position eight in a field of eight going 6 ½ furlongs.
“I’d rather be out there, because we’ve been doing some stuff
with her (working behind horses),” said Gomez, who has ridden the
daughter of Henny Hughes for owner B. Wayne Hughes and trainer Richard
Mandella in each of her five starts.
“That’s not to necessarily say she’s going to behave exactly the
way we’d like her to,” Gomez added. “She has a mind of her own. But
being outside, if she does decide to be patient and there’s a lot of
speed, she gives me a hand where I can play my cards however I’d like
to.
“If she doesn’t, she’ll be vamanos. But at least the outside post
will give me some options with her, if she’s willing to adapt to some
of the stuff we’ve been asking of her.
“If not, we’ll let her do what she does.”
The field for the Santa Ynez: Small Moves, Victor Espinoza,
30-1; Blushing Angel, Joe Talamo, 10-1; Dawn’s Charm, Edwin Maldonado,
5-1; Lady Rosamond, Martin Garcia, 10-1; Inwiththeblonde, Juan
Hernandez, 10-1; Renee’s Titan, Tyler Baze, 8-1; Switch to the Lead,
Julien Leparoux, 8-1; and Beholder, Garrett Gomez, 3-5.