Spendthrift's Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), injured in the Breeders' Cup last fall and unraced in 2024, is expected to make her return at Del Mar Friday. She is entered in the seventh race on the card, a six-furlong optional claiming test.
“She's doing good,” Mandella said. “She's ready to race.”
A daughter of Hall of Famer Beholder (Henny Hughes), the multiple champion defeated colts in the GI Pacific Classic in 2015 and annexed the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff in both 2013 and 2016.
The Spendthrift homebred was tabbed a TDN Rising Star following her career debut at Del Mar in August of 2023 before running off to a six -length victory in the GI Del Mar.
Entered her in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita, she set the pace in the race before fading to seventh place behind winner and ultimate champion Just F Y I (Justify). Following the race, it was revealed that she had sustained a fractured splint bone in her left leg.
Tamara, given time off, returned to Mandella this spring and was tested with a couple of two-furlong drills. Everything was pointing in the right direction for a return to the races but Mandella, fearing he was moving too fast with her, backed off, keeping her in light training but skipping the Del Mar summer meet and the Santa Anita autumn meet. A spiked fever also contributed to her delayed return.
“Just see that they have their old style back,” Mandella explained when asked what he was looking for her return. “[To have] The same ability. She seems to have that. A lot of good works, so I think we're ready to go.”
Mandella had hoped to run Tamara in an allowance race last weekend at Del Mar, but it failed to fill. So, instead he put another work (five furlongs) into her last Friday, and she registered a bullet in 1:01.20.
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