Beholder works seven furlongs in final Zenyatta prep

The two-time champion Beholder may be peaking at an ideal time this fall.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, Beholder worked seven furlongs in 1:24.60, her final major exercise before she starts as a heavy favorite in the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles next Saturday.

Beholder won the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes in 2013 and followed with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. The same race on Oct. 31 is the primary goal for the 4-year-old Beholder this year.

In Saturday’s workout, Beholder was ridden by jockey Mike Smith and began about seven lengths behind a stablemate. She quickly caught the workmate and was challenged by a runner from another stable working at the same time.

“It made her pick it up more,” Smith said of the unexpected company.

Beholder has not raced since finishing fourth June 7 in the Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park, emerging from that race with a pastern injury believed to be caused when she was struck by another horse. The injury kept Beholder from racing during the summer.

Through August, trainer Richard Mandella expressed confidence in Beholder’s progress, an opinion that he continued to hold after Saturday’s workout.

“She looked good,” he said. “She looked very good.”

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes, Beholder was the champion 2-year-old filly of 2012 and champion 3-year-old filly of 2013.

Beholder will face a small field in the Zenyatta Stakes. Her main rival will be Iotapa, who won the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 2.

In other works, Daddy D T, a maiden race winner at Del Mar, worked six furlongs in 1:14.60 for a start in the $300,000 FrontRunner Stakes for 2-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles Saturday. The FrontRunner, a key prep for the BC Juvenile on Nov. 1, is led by American Pharoah, the winner of the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3.

On turf, Obviously, the seven-time stakes winner, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds. He is expected to start in the BC Mile on Nov. 1. Goldencents, winner of the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes on Aug. 24, was timed in 52.60 seconds. He is a candidate for the $1 million Shadwell Mile on turf Oct. 4 at Keeneland.

The 2-year-old filly Her Emmynency worked a half-mile on turf in 47.80 seconds. She could start in Saturday’s $300,000 Chandelier Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on dirt or the $100,000 Surfer Girl Stakes on turf Oct. 5.

Over five furlongs on turf, Miss Serendipity was timed in 1:03. She won the Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 1 and will start in Saturday’s $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 1/4 miles on turf.

– additional reporting by Brad Free