I’m very excited to announce that I will be representing Nik Juarez at the Oaklawn meet& continue to Rep. Geovanni Franco. Expecting big things for these too at Oaklawn Park
Shirreffs also credited jockey Gary Stevens and the on-site veterinarian, whose efforts in the immediate aftermath following Royal Mo's training injury May 14 at Pimlico Race Course may have saved the colt's life. "It was great work by Gary Stevens," Shirreffs said. "To get down there and keep his leg elevated, and the doctor got out there quickly to make sure he didn't hurt himself more."
Besides BEHOLDER in the Distaff and RUNHAPPY in the Dirt Mile, Gary is up on Turf Sprint contender OM, WIN THE SPACE in the Classic, and ASHLEYLUVSSUGAR in the Breeders' Cup Turf.
Champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) exited her victory in Saturday's GI Vanity Mile "really good," trainer Richard Mandella reported Sunday. Up next for the 6-year-old mare is expected to be the July 30 GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar. Beholder has now won 17 of 22 starts, including 10 Grade I events and her last eight outings. "She's amazing," Mandella summed up
Look for BEHOLDER in Saturday's GI Vanity Mile S 06/01/2016
Three-time Eclipse Award-winning mare Beholder (Henny Hughes) breezed four furlongs in :48.60 (9/25) at Santa Anita Tuesday morning, her final drill before an expected start in Saturday's GI Vanity Mile S.
"She left there sweet like she always does," Stevens said. "She went over super, super quiet today. I had to let her do a little something the last sixteenth because she wanted to. She had fun, I had fun. The sky's the limit for her. She didn't take so much as a deep breath when I pulled her up. She's a very happy mare."
Gary and Taris surprised close to the wire 03/20/2016
Gary and Taris were surprised in deep stretch by a horse coming with a rush outside of them. None the less, Taris finished a good second in the G1 Santa Margarita.
Gary of TARIS in the Santa Margarita Stakes - Gr. 1 03/17/2016
MGSW TARIS entered in the Santa Margarita Stakes - Gr. 1 with Gary up. They have won their last two graded stakes races.
Courtesy of the Courier Journal
By JonathanLintner
Gary Stevens will be heading to Kentucky and will ride the majority of April at Keeneland. 03/13/2016
The Daily Racing Form reports that Stevens will ride at Santa Anita through the end of the meeting April 10. After that, he will be based in Kentucky through Kentucky Derby Day.
“I'm pretty sure I'll go to Keeneland,” Stevens told the DRF Friday. “With the Derby right around the corner, it makes sense. I don't know how much I'll be riding, but I don't think I'd be riding much at Los Alamitos.” (The three-week Los Alamitos meet runs April 14 to May 1.)
KOBE'S BACK ROARS TO SAN CARLOS WIN 03/13/2016
KOBE'S BACK ROARS TO SAN CARLOS WIN Next to last entering the stretch, Kobe's Back exploded through the lane to win the $300,000 San Carlos Stakes (gr. II) March 12 at Santa Anita Park.
Gary Stevens, aboard MOR SPIRIT, was far from discouraged by the runner-up’s effort. “I’m super happy, because he was way too keen in the early part of the race--he was really fresh, hasn’t run for a while,” Stevens said. “He was super sharp. As I was coming into the lane, I knew I wasn’t going to catch the winner, but I knew we had to get some [Kentucky Derby] points here. I like where we’re sitting for the Santa Anita Derby. I lost a battle today, but I like our position. Bob [Baffert] was happy, so I’m happy. We got a lot out of today’s race. He’ll settle a little better for me in the Santa Anita Derby.”
Gary Stevens has seen plenty in his long career, but he experienced a first when he rode Ziconic, the son of Zenyatta, in his Feb. 20 debut at Santa Anita Park. As the Hall of Fame rider brought the 3-year-old Tapit colt back into the stretch after the seven-furlong race people cheered. It caught him off guard because Ziconic didn't win.
"I've never been cheered for finishing third in a maiden special weight before," Stevens said. But it wasn't a run-of-the-mill third. Reminiscent of his famed dam, Ziconic was 15 3/4 lengths back—last in the seven-horse field—through a half-mile and rallied furiously.
"We knew he was going to break slow and it took him a little while to get wound up," Stevens said. "I was at the three-eighths pole and was so far back. I said, 'Buddy, your mama could win from here, can you?' "
Trainer John Shirreffs said Ziconic will likely land in a two-turn maiden event in his next race.
El Kabeir in the G2 San Antonio and Mor Spirit in the Grade 3 $ Robert B. Lewis.
Gary and Baffert on Mor Spirit 02/01/2016
“They start separating themselves now,” said Baffert of the 3-year-olds with designs on the classics. “I think with every start, we're learning more about Mor Spirit and figuring out what he wants to do. He has a lot of tactical speed but you can't let him use it too early.
“We're teaching him to sit and wait. He's a big horse and beautifully made. He's got a really long stride. He'll be best going a mile and an eighth and further.”
Gary Stevens, who has ridden Mor Spirit in three of his four starts including the Grade I Los Alamitos Futurity which resulted in a 1 ½-length victory on Dec. 19, is aligned with Baffert.
“He's doing really well,” Stevens said of Mor Spirit, a son of Eskendereya owned by Michael Lund Petersen. “He's training forwardly since the Futurity and I'm looking forward to his first start since December, so we're excited.
Trainer Simon Callaghan’s Taris, a facile winner of the Grade III, one mile Go For Wand Handicap Nov. 27 at Aqueduct, returns to her home base at Santa Anita Saturday and could pose an elusive target on the lead with Gary Stevens engaged to ride. Off at odds of 4-5 in New York, the 5-year-old mare by Flatter pressed the early pace and took command around the far turn under Joel Rosario.
Ridden by Stevens to an impressive win four starts back in the Grade III, 6 ½ furlong Rancho Bernardo Handicap Aug. 16 at Del Mar, Taris could get early pressure from Tara’s Tango or supplemental entrant, Illuminant, who has raced primarily on turf.
BEHOLDER TO RETURN TO MANDELLA IN JANUARY 12/31/2015
Still turned out and getting some much-deserved rest at Peacefield Farm in Temecula, Calif., Spendthrift Farm's Beholder is expected to return to the barn of Richard Mandella soon, the trainer said Dec. 30 at Santa Anita Park.
Gary to ride Dortmund in the Native Diver G3 on the 28th 11/25/2015
It looks as though it will be the red eye for Gary as he has a ride on the 28th on Dortmund in the Native Diver G3. at Del Mar as well as the Go For Wand on the 27th in NY.
“She just cruised around there,” Stevens reported. “ We wanted to pick it up at the five sixteenths. Richard had told me to wait until the quarter pole so I let her extend at the quarter pole and then at the three sixteenths, she wanted to hit the afterburners, but Richard didn’t want anything fancy with her. That’s as serious as she’ll get before the Breeders’ Cup, that’s all she needed. She’ll have one more tuneup at Keeneland and that’ll be it…If I’m there and he needs me then I’ll be there, but there’s a chance he won’t if he thinks she’ll do too much with me on her back.”
On another picturesque morning at Santa Anita, two-time Eclipse Award Champion mare Beholder registered a strong gallop.
Trained by Richard Mandella and owned by B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm, Beholder, fresh off a smashing win versus males in the Grade I Pacific Classic Aug. 22, came on Santa Anita’s main track via the quarter mile chute at 5:50 a.m. and galloped a strong two miles as she prepares for what her connections hope will be a third consecutive win in the Grade I, $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita Sept. 26.
The 5-year-old Henny Hughes mare will work five furlongs on Friday morning with regular rider Gary Stevens up.
“Richard will let me know in the morning, but he’ll probably want me to go in about a minute,” said Stevens. “And we’ll probably go ahead and gallop out seven eighths.”
BC CLASSIC, NO AUCTION FOR BEHOLDER 09/16/2015
Champion Beholder will target the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey confirmed, and the mare's connections have also decided not to offer her at auction immediately after the World Championships. Spendthrift owner B. Wayne Hughes hopes Beholder can race next year as a 6-year-old, and he likely will likely keep her after she retires.
Beholder, who last time out trounced males in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I), will point to the Sept. 26 Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park and then face males for a second time at Keeneland.
"I think it made a really big impression on Mr. Hughes," Toffey said. "We all have talked about how fortunate we are to have her, and Mr. Hughes is 82 years old. He knows these kind don't come around very often, and he decided he'd just like to enjoy her. I think with the Pacific Classic, she maybe reached a whole other level."
Courtesy of the Los Angeles Daily News
By Art Wilson,
BEHOLDER WOULD MAKE 'CLASSIC' HISTORY 08/20/2015
Courtesy of the Blood-Horse
By Jeremy Balan
With Beholder's track record and talent, it's no wonder she'll be the main attraction Aug. 22 at Del Mar when she runs against the boys for the first time in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I)—but it's not unprecedented. Since the Classic's inception in 1991, four fillies or mares have run in the 1 1/4-mile race, with three being relative outsiders. But Beholder's try this year (she's the morning-line favorite at 5-2) is reminiscent of the second Pacific Classic, in which Paseana went off at 8-5. The then 5-year old Paseana, trained by Ron McAnally, is the only filly or mare ever favored in the Classic. She came into the Del Mar feature on a seven-race win streak (Beholder, also 5, has four in a row) with six career grade I wins (Beholder boasts seven). She pressed the pace and tired in the Classic, however, and wound up fifth. Paseana went on to win the Eclipse Award as champion older female in 1992 and 1993, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 but never raced against males again
BEHOLDER INSTALLED AS 5-2 MORNING LINE FAVORITE FOR TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC 08/20/2015
Two-time Eclipse Award champion Beholder is the 5-2 morning line favorite to become the first female thoroughbred to win Del Mar’s signature race of the summer season, the Grade I $1 million TVG Pacific Classic, Saturday.
The brilliant daughter of Henny Hughes, owned by the Spendthrift Farm of B. Wayne Hughes and trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, will have another Hall of Fame member, Gary Stevens, in the saddle as she attempts to further enhance an already dazzling resume. A winner of 13 of 18 starts, the mare has won eight of her last nine starts, including the recent Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, the tenth added money triumph of her career.
Gary on the Triple Crown and American Pharoah 06/08/2015
''He ran a hell of a race. That's a hell of a horse. The race was over in the third jump from the gate, it was over. It's great to come back to a screaming crowd in a happy way instead of booing. It's a pretty cool moment.'' - Gary Stevens, jockey of Tale of Verve, who finished seventh.
Gary on Ashelyluvssugar going for the G2 Charles Wittingham S. 05/22/2015
Red hot Ashelyluvssugar heads a field of five 3-year-olds and up inSunday’s Grade II, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes, as the 4-year-old California-bred gelding by Game Plan bids for his second consecutive graded stakes win and his third overall win in a row.
Trained by Peter Eurton and owned by his breeders, Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable and Ciaglia Racing, LLC, Ashelyluvssugar rallied from far off the pace under Gary Stevens to take the Grade II, 1 ½ miles turf San Luis Rey Stakes on March 21 and will hope to have a legitimate pace to run at in the Whittingham.
New York Times' Joe Drape picks Firing Line to win the Preakness 05/15/2015
Stevens, at 52, has that fire in his eyes again and is looking to play spoiler to American Pharoah’s Triple Crown bid. He certainly has the horse to do it.
Gary and Firing Line drew the outside post 05/13/2015
With 8 going postward, Firing Line drew outside in post position 8. He is the morning line third choice. With a small field, this post should suit him well.
Firing Line and Gary to break from post 10 04/29/2015
Gary and Firing Line will break from the center of the gate in post position 10. He will have Bolo to his inside and Stanford to his outside. Firing Line has been given morning-line odds of 12-1 and along with Carpe Diem is the third choice.
As Firing Line was readied for his jog, his Derby rider – Hall of Famer Gary Stevens – stopped by the barn to check on the bay. Stevens was asked just how much he liked Firing Line. “I like him quite a bit,” the 52-year-old jockey said with a smile.
Private clocker Gary Young's comment on Firing Line 04/27/2015
Firing Line looked well composed in his first visit to Churchill. A good effort from him is expected from this observer.
Firing Line steps on out the track at Churchill Downs 04/26/2015
Arnold Zetcher's Firing Line, easy winner of the Sunland Derby (gr. III), also jogged at Churchill April 27 after arriving on the same flight as Dortmund. Firing Line, by Line of David , passed Dortmund in the Feb. 7 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II), but the big colt surged back to beat him by a head.
