The Beholder Mile Stakes is a

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for fillies and mares aged three and up. It is run over a distance of one mile on the dirt each year in March at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious race ...

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of t ...

History

The event was inaugurated in 1940 as the Vanity Handicap at

Hollywood Park Racetrack Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred horse racing, race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to The Forum (Inglewood, California), the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, t ...

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...

over the current distance of one mile. In 1968

Gamely Gamely (February 10, 1964 – 1975) was an American Thoroughbred race horse who was voted the champion filly of her age group on three occasions. Background Gamely was bred and born at Claiborne Farm outside Paris, Kentucky. Her dam was the sta ...

won carrying a record weight for a winner of 131 pounds in the race. Her owner

William Haggin Perry William Haggin Perry (December 5, 1910 - November 12, 1993) was an American owner and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses. Early life Perry was the son of Henry Pierrepont Perry, a Wall Street stockbroker, and Edith Lounsbery, who was the daughter ...

had the three placegetters in the race which carried a record high stakes amount for the fillies and mares of $79,650. Originally an open handicap for fillies and mares aged three years and up, in 1987 it was changed to an invitational handicap for selected fillies and mares. Over the next three decades, the race switched between open handicap and invitational handicap formats. Following the closure of Hollywood Park, the race moved to

in 2014. In that same year, the event was changed from the handicap format to a

weight-for-age {{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Weight for Age (WFA) is a term in thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. History The principle of WFA was developed by Admiral Rous, a handicapper with the English Jockey Club. Rou ...

race with allowances for horses who had not recently won a graded stakes race. In 2016 it was announced that the race would be renamed the Vanity Mile and the distance reduced accordingly. In 2017 it was announced that the race would be renamed after the Champion Mare Beholder. The race is normally run on dirt, except between 2007 and 2013 when Hollywood Park used a synthetic Cushion Track surface. The race was not run in 1942 and 1943 due to wartime restrictions.

Distance

The race has since been contested at various distances: *1 mile – 1940; 2016–present; * miles – 1941, 1944–1949, 1951–1953; * miles – 1950, 1954–1985, 1988–2015; * miles – 1986–1987.

Records

Time record: * 1:35.60 for 1 mile – Unique Bella (2018) * 1:46.20 for miles – Princess Rooney (1984) Most wins: * 3 –

Zenyatta Zenyatta (foaled April 1, 2004) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic and Breeders' Cup Distaff and 19 of her 20 starts. She was the 2010 American Horse of the Year, and American Champion Older Female H ...

(2008, 2009, 2010)

Winners since 1972

Earlier winners

*1971 : Hi Q. *1970 : Commissary *1969 : Desert Law *1968 :

*1967 : Desert Love *1966 : Khal Ireland *1965 : Jalousie *1964 : Star Maggie *1963 : Table Mate *1962 :

Linita Linita (foaled March 25, 1957) was an American Thoroughbred racing mare in California. Background Linita was a chestnut mare bred and raced by Angelo and Herman Corradini in partnership with George Dorney, she was trained by Clyde Turk througho ...

*1961 : Perizade *1960 : Silver Spoon *† 1959 : Zevs Joy / Tender Size *1958 : Annie-Lu-San *1957 : Annie-Lu-San *1956 : Mary Machree *1955 : Countess Fleet *1954 : Bubbley *1953 : Fleet Khal *1952 : Two Lea *1951 :

Bewitch Bewitch (1945–1959) was a Thoroughbred race horse born in 1945 at Calumet Farm, Kentucky, United States in the same crop in which the stallion Bull Lea produced Citation and Coaltown. Each of them was eventually inaugurated into the Thoroughb ...

*1950 : Next Move *1949 : Silver Drift *1948 : Hemet Squaw *1947 :

Honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds after their wedding to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase in a couple ...

*1946 : Be Faithful *1945 : Busher *1944 : Happy Issue *‡1943 : ''Race not held'' *‡1942 : ''Race not held'' *1941 : Painted Veil *1940 : Etolia II ''Notes:''
† Run in two divisions in 1959.
‡ Race not held due to World War II

References

{{reflist
The Vanity Invitational Handicap at Pedigree Query

The Vanity Invitational Handicap at the NTRA
Grade 1 stakes races in the United States Horse races in California Mile category horse races for fillies and mares Santa Anita Park Horse races established in 1940 1940 establishments in California