Beholder Mile 2025 Analysis

By Jarrod Horak

The Grade 1, $300,000 Beholder Mile is the 8th race at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, March 8. Six horses will face the starter and Cavalieri is the 9-5 morning line favorite.

Beholder Mile field: 1 - Richi (2-1), 2 - Hoosier Philly (8-1), 3 - Cavalieri (9-5), 4 - Ultimate Authority (15-1), 5 - Tarifa (3-1), 6 - Alpha Bella (6-1).

Beholder Mile Analysis

Tarifa was my Kentucky Oaks horse last year and she did not fire that day. She won the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra, Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), and Mother Goose (G2) as a sophomore, and was last seen finishing second in the Falls City (G3) in November. Brad Cox ’s Godolphin filly might like this flat mile distance and could offer a hint of value.

Cavalieri is a lightly raced early-pressing filly with a 3-for-3 record for the productive Juan Hernandez and Bob Baffert team. She won her first two starts at one mile, and she stepped up, dueled, and beat Alpha Bella by a length and a half as the even money favorite in the Grade 3 La Canada on Jan. 19.

Alpha Bella moved to the John Sadler barn last September and she completed the exacta in the Zenyatta (G2), Bayakoa (G3), and La Canada (G3). She put blinkers back on last time and her last stakes win occurred in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante at 1 1/2 miles on turf (January 2024). She drew outside the other speed and continues to train forwardly, and she reconnects with Hector Berrios and figures to stalk the pace from the outside post.

Richi handled longer distances in Chile and sprinted in all three starts in this country. She won the Grade 3 Las Flores Jan. 4 and was 3rd of 4 in the Grade 2 Santa Monica at seven panels on Feb. 1. 

Beholder Mile Video