Santa Anita: Beholder, Secret Circle work

ARCADIA, Calif. – The 2013 Breeders’ Cup race winners Beholder and Secret Circle worked on Friday at Santa Anita, in preparation for major stakes.

Beholder, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2013, worked seven furlongs in 1:27. Trainer Richard Mandella said that Beholder has the $1 million Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park on June 7 as her late-spring goal, and that prep races at Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, or Santa Anita are possible.

Beholder has not raced since winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita last November.

Mandella mentioned the $300,000 La Troienne Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs on May 2, the $250,000 Ruffian Handicap over a mile at Belmont Park on May 11, or the $100,000 Wilshire Stakes over a mile on turf at Santa Anita on April 27 as first-race options this year. Beholder has never raced on turf.

Mandella said he is not considering the $75,000 Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita on April 20. “I don’t know what I’ll do,” he said. “I’m interested in looking at the turf race. I’ll look at races around the nation.”

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes, Beholder has won 8 of 12 starts and $3,075,000. She was the champion 2-year-old filly of 2012.

Secret Circle, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last November, worked a half-mile in 47 seconds.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Secret Circle was second in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes on Feb. 2, his only start this year. Baffert said he is considering the $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap over six furlongs at Oaklawn Park on Thursday, or the $200,000 Potrero Grande Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs here on April 12 for Secret Circle’s next start.

Secret Circle has won 7 of 10 starts and $1,918,790 for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman.