Beholder, Songbird sharp in latest works for Breeders' Cup Distaff

ARCADIA, Calif. – The champion females Beholder and Songbird are approaching their first meeting in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 4 in excellent form – and on the same exercise schedule.

On Thursday at Santa Anita, Beholder and Songbird recorded quick workouts about an hour apart. Songbird worked at dawn, going six furlongs in 1:12.80. Beholder worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds shortly after the start of the 7:45 a.m. training session.

Songbird, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2015, worked alone under exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez. According to Santa Anita clockers, Songbird worked the opening quarter-mile in 24.80 seconds and a half-mile in 48.40. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer timed Songbird galloping out seven furlongs in 1:26.80 and a mile in 1:39.90.

“She looked very nice this morning,” Hollendorfer said.

Songbird has won all 11 of her races, most recently the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx on Sept. 24.

Hollendorfer said Songbird will have two more workouts before the BC Distaff and that jockey Mike Smith could be aboard for one of the works.

Rodriguez did not urge Songbird during Thursday’s workout. Hollendorfer said Songbird has been a reliable work horse throughout her career.

“Some horses aren’t good work horses,” he said. “She happens to be.”

Beholder, a three-time champion, worked in company with a stablemate and started quickly under jockey Gary Stevens. Santa Anita clockers timed Beholder running the opening quarter-mile in 22.40 seconds and a half-mile in 46.60.

Beholder started three lengths behind the stablemate. Stevens guided Beholder to the rail entering the stretch and finished two lengths clear.

“She’s happy and in a good place,” Stevens said. “We were rolling. She was doing plenty.”

Trainer Richard Mandella said Thursday’s workout was the “serious” exercise for Beholder in the buildup to the BC Distaff.

“She couldn’t have been better,” Mandella said.

Beholder will work next week and could have “something small” in the days before the BC Distaff, Mandella said.

The BC Distaff is expected to feature three champions, including Stellar Wind, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2015. Stellar Wind and Beholder most recently were first and second in the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes here on Oct. 1.

In other works, Lord Nelson worked a half-mile in 46.60 seconds for the BC Sprint, and Om worked a half-mile in 50.40 for the BC Mile.

Lord Nelson, the winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 8, is unbeaten in four starts this year for trainer Bob Baffert.

Om, trained by Dan Hendricks, has been second in his last two starts – the Del Mar Mile on Aug. 21 and the City of Hope Mile on Oct. 8.

Thursday’s workout was the first for Om since the City of Hope Mile.

You Missed It turned out, will skip Breeders' Cup

You Missed It, a maiden who was second in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf last month, will miss the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, trainer Doug O’Neill said.

You Missed It has been turned out with minor ailments, O’Neill said.

“We tried to baby her, and it didn’t make sense,” he said.

You Missed It, owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, is winless in four starts.

O’Neill plans to have five runners in Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 4-5 – Nyquist in the Classic, Land Over Sea in the Distaff, Gomo in the Filly and Mare Sprint, Ralis in the Turf, and Guns Loaded in the Turf Sprint.