Betting With, and Against, Fun to Dream in the Beholder Mile

A well-matched field of eight fillies and mares will travel one mile on the Santa Anita main strip in Saturday’s $500,000 Beholder Mile (G1). Trainer Bob Baffert will be represented by a trio of contenders, including morning-line choice #8 Fun to Dream (5-2). By Arrogate, the consistently very good filly is 6-for-7 lifetime with a sterling 4-for-4 mark on the surface.

The California-bred four-year-old captured the La Brea (G1) in her sophomore finale, and came back with an excellent tally in the Santa Monica (G2) to commence her 2023 campaign. Fun to Dream has run a route of ground just once in her lifetime when she dusted allowance foes on this oval in October, and she will not endure any problems stretching out an additional furlong on Saturday with anything close to her best showing. The stalker will enjoy a clear journey throughout from her outside post, and she will retain the services of regular pilot Juan Hernandez, as well.

Santa Anita Oaks (G2) queen #7 Desert Dawn (4-1) has run some big ones on the surface in her career and seems poised for a big showing while making her four-year-old bow. The Phil D’Amato trainee capped off her sophomore season with a pair of nice runner-up finishes in the graded stakes ranks, and she has trained well in the interim, led by a bullet five-furlong morning move on Sunday. Cupid filly will do her best work inside the final furlong with Umberto Rispoli in the stirrups once again.

#3 Awake at Midnyte (10-1) has come close while second to the top pick in both the La Brea and Santa Monica in her last two performances for trainer Doug O’Neill. Nyquist four-year-old has settled for minor awards a bit too often, but her 5-1-4-0 mark at Santa Anita indicates that she has an obvious affinity for the local oval. The chestnut filly seems like a perfect fit at the one-mile distance, and a move forward will make her a formidable foe in this spot with regular jockey Mario Gutierrez taking the reins. I expect the contender to sit a few lengths off the early pace to the top of the lane.

Fun to Dream – With

• $4 trifecta 8 with 3,7 with all ($48)

Fun to Dream – Against

• $2 trifecta 3,7 with 3,7,8 with all ($48)