Beholder wins BC Distaff, ends Royal Delta's reign

Beholder, center, ridden by jockey Gary Stevens wins the Breeders' Cup Distaff horse race at Santa Anita Park Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Beholder, center, ridden by jockey Gary Stevens wins the Breeders' Cup Distaff horse race at Santa Anita Park Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Jockey Gary Stevens celebrates after Beholder won the Breeders' Cup Distaff horse race at Santa Anita Park Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Jockey Gary Stevens celebrates after Beholder won the Breeders' Cup Distaff horse race at Santa Anita Park Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Jockey Richard Hughes celebrates after Chriselliam wins Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf horse race at Santa Anita Park Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Horses leave the starting gate in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile horse race at Santa Anita Park Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, in Arcadia, Calif. Goldencents won the race. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Beholder won the $2 million Distaff by 4 1/4 lengths Friday at Santa Anita, spoiling Royal Delta's bid for a third straight victory at the Breeders' Cup, with veteran jockeys Gary Stevens and Mike Smith dominating on opening day.

Stevens, who at 50 began a comeback in January that included winning the Preakness Stakes, earned his ninth career Cup win and first since 2000.

Smith, a 48-year-old Hall of Famer, won two of the five Cup races at Santa Anita, and will be aboard early favorite Game On Dude in the $5 million Classic on Saturday. He and Royal Delta finished fourth as the 7-5 favorite in the Distaff.

Beholder ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.77 on her home track, where she is trained by Richard Mandella. This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of Mandella winning a record four Cup races in a single day at the 2003 world championships.

Beholder paid $7.60, $4.20 and $3.20.

Close Hatches returned $6.60 and $4.80, while Authenticity was another 1 ¾ lengths back in third and paid $4.20 to show.

Street Girl was fifth and Princess of Sylmar last in the field of six.

Four jockeys and five trainers won each of the Breeders' Cup races in front of 35,833 fans on a sunny, cloudless day with the temperature in the 80s. Attendance was up 1,214 over last year's Friday total.

Smith triggered the day's biggest upset in the $500,000 Marathon, the first of five Cup races. He guided London Bridge to a length victory that was worth $20 to win.

Smith followed it up with a length victory aboard Britain-bred Outstrip in the $1 million Juvenile Turf, extending his record for most Cup wins by a jockey to 19. Smith is already the event's leader among money won with more than $23 million.

Goldencents snapped a five-race skid by winning the $1 million Dirt Mile for co-owner Rick Pitino, the Louisville basketball coach who wasn't on hand to join the raucous winner's circle celebration.

Rafael Bejarano rode Goldencents to a three-length victory. It was the fourth Cup win and first since 2007 for both him and trainer Doug O'Neill. Goldencents' skid included a 17th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby and a fifth-place in the Preakness when Kevin Krigger was his rider.

Ireland-bred Chriselliam won the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf, giving jockey Richard Hughes and trainer Charles Hills their first Cup victories. The 2-year-old filly paid $15.80 to win. Her owners include retired star jockey Willie Carson and Chris Wright, the founder of music publishing giant Chrysalis.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-11-01-RAC-Breeders'-Cup-Day-1/id-ed9d9dcb290f4198813ab162c67239eb
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