Beholder continues on path to possible BC Classic start

ARCADIA, Calif. – Beholder looked super working six furlongs Friday morning at Santa Anita under jockey Gary Stevens, her final workout before the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes on Sept. 26.

It was 6:45 a.m. when Beholder broke off at the five-eighths pole, five lengths behind an unidentified workmate. She cruised past in the lane, “won” the work by more than three lengths, and worked to the seven-eighths pole. Trainer Richard Mandella timed her six furlongs in 1:12.60; track clockers gave her 1:12.80.

“That’s what I asked for; she couldn’t have looked better,” Mandella said. “I don’t need to over-train her. She just went a mile and a quarter a couple weeks ago.”

Mandella was referring to the Pacific Classic on Aug. 22 at Del Mar, a race against males she won by 8 1/4 lengths. It was her 14th win from 19 starts, and changed her autumn Breeders’ Cup goal.

“We’re looking at the Classic,” Mandella said Friday. “I’m not saying we’re stuck there.”

In the 1 1/16-mile Zenyatta, Beholder is expected to start as the odds-on favorite in a small field that will include Warren’s Veneda.

Warren’s Veneda all set

Warren’s Veneda is playing catch-up. Her last start was Aug. 1 in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar, a third-place finish behind Beholder which came with an alibi. Warren’s Veneda came out of the Hirsch with a bruised right front foot.

“Her entire leg was severely inflamed,” trainer Craig Lewis said. “But we were lucky. We diagnosed it as a foot [bruise], and we were correct. It could have been many other things.”

Warren’s Veneda missed more than a week of training while the foot healed. The Grade 1 winner has resumed a steady recent workout pattern, and on Friday at Santa Anita she had her final workout before the Zenyatta.

Working at approximately the same time as Beholder, Warren’s Veneda worked by herself under regular exercise rider Manny Rotela. Warren’s Veneda was timed in 1:13.

“It was a comfortable six furlongs,” Lewis said, “she looks good enough to maybe run second [in the Zenyatta] if she brings her ‘A’ game.”

Warren’s Veneda will be racing on familiar footing in the Zenyatta. Earlier this year at Santa Anita she won three stakes, including the Grade 1 Santa Margarita, and placed in two others.

Stellar Wind scheduled to work

Stellar Wind, the top 3-year-old dirt filly in California, was scheduled for her second workout Saturday morning since winning the Grade 3 Torrey Pines on Aug. 30. A half-mile workout Sept. 12 at Santa Anita was not recorded, according to trainer John Sadler.

“She’ll breeze, then I’ll decide if I’m going to run her in the Zenyatta or not,” Sadler said.

Stellar Wind has won 5 of 7 starts, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks. Another option for Stellar Wind is the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland on Oct. 4.

◗ Catch a Flight, a three-time graded stakes winner and second to Beholder in the Pacific Classic, will run in either the Grade 1 Awesome Again on Sept. 26 at Santa Anita, or the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park, trainer Richard Mandella said.

◗ Former jockey Alex Bisono has been hired by Mandella as an assistant trainer. Bisono, who won more than 500 races, began his position early this month.

◗ Jockey Martin Garcia was not hurt in a race-8 spill Thursday at Los Alamitos. He was unseated at the start when 2-year-old Bussjaeger stumbled. Bussjager ran loose, jumped a rail, broke a shoulder, and later was euthanized.