Still Stinging Stevens Well Situated in Weekend Stakes

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens admits that he’s still “feeling the sting” of disappointment over Pacific Classic winning super mare Beholder not making the Breeders’ Cup Classic and facing American Pharoah.

Beholder bled in a routine gallop and had to be scratched two days short of the matchup that was the dream of all of racing.

“But the good thing is that she’s going to be brought back next year,” Stevens said here Saturday morning. “So we regroup and go on.”

On the immediate agenda for Stevens are assignments aboard Mac Daddy Mac in today’s Grade III $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes and Lucky Folie in Sunday’s $100,000 Desi Arnaz.

He’s bullish on both.

Mac Daddy Mac (8-1) was a first-out winner on October 24 at Santa Anita and was subsequently privately purchased by Dean Reeves and is trained by Kathy Ritvo, the connections, along with Stevens, of 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man.

“We had dinner last night and we’re all excited,” Stevens said. “He won impressively his first out. I worked him here (a week ago) and he did everything right.”

Lucky Folie, Stevens’ mount for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella in the Desi Arnaz Stakes, was a 2 ½-length winner at 5 ½ furlongs on the main track in her racing debut on August 15 here under Flavien Prat. The 2-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor crossed under the wire second but was disqualified to third in a mile turf race 16 days ago at Santa Anita with Stevens replacing the injured Prat.

The Arnaz is seven furlongs on the main track.

“Richard considered running her in the (Breeders’ Cup) Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland but decided to keep her here,” Stevens said. “She’s a really nice filly with a big future.”