Dirt Mile contenders throughout the nation put in solid workouts over the past few days.

Five prospective starters had works at Santa Anita ranging in length from a half-mile to six furlongs, beginning with Bronzo (four furlongs in 47.20 seconds) and Goldencents (five furlongs in 59 seconds) on Friday.

Defending Dirt Mile champ and likely favorite Goldencents had Rafael Bejarano up, going in splits of 23.80, 36.00 and 47.80 seconds, and galloping out six furlongsin 1:11.40 under the watchful eye of Leandro Mora, who has replaced the suspended Doug O’Neill as trainer.

Although Sunday’s Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine wasn’t a Win and You’re In race for the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, it essentially served as one for Just The Judge.

Off since a third-place finish in the Beverly D. Stakes on Aug. 16 at Arlington, she needed what her connections felt was a good race to run her back on less than two weeks’ rest in the Breeders’ Cup. And she delivered, winning the E.P. Taylor by a half-length, earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure, and overcoming a poor start.

Main Sequence may be a sharper horse in the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita than he was winning the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park on Sept. 27.

“If anything, he seems like he’s progressed from his races,” trainer Graham Motion said on Sunday.

European-based horses have won the last two editions of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and it has been confirmed that Qualify and Osaila will make the trip from Great Britain to run in the one-mile race on Oct. 31 at Santa Anita.

Qualify, trained by Aidan O’Brien, is coming off a three-length win in the Group 3 CL and MF Weld Park Stakes on Sept. 28 at The Curragh.  In a change of tactics, jockey Joseph O’Brien eased her back to last during the early stages of the seven-furlong race.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Tonalist, the Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, worked five furlongs in 1:00.56 over the Belmont main track Sunday morning in preparation for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Originally scheduled to work in company, Tonalist worked by himself under Lee Vickers. Given a good run up to the half-mile pole by Vickers, Tonalist went his opening quarter in 24.12 seconds and got his final three-eighths in 36.44. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.01.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott admits the poor performance by Close Hatches in the Grade 1 Spinster two weeks ago still has him puzzled. But after watching his filly train Sunday at Belmont Park, he remains steadfast about giving her another chance in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, a race in which she finished second last year.

Working by herself over the main track after the renovation break Sunday, Close Hatches breezed four furlongs in 49.12 seconds, according to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. Exercise rider Steve Schmez was up for the move.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sunday was a busy morning of workouts for Breeders’ Cup hopefuls on turf and the main track.

Two candidates for the BC Sprint had bullet workouts. Big Macher, who won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar in July, worked five furlongs in 58.60 seconds, the fastest of 67 recorded works at the distance. Seeking the Sherif, the winner of the Katella Stakes at Los Alamitos on Sept. 20, worked six furlongs in 1:12.20, the fastest of 25 works at the distance.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens spent Saturday and Sunday morning exercising horses at Santa Anita and said he is planning a comeback from summertime knee-replacement surgery as early as November.

Stevens, who has not ridden since July 6 at Monmouth Park, does not have a specific target date for a return to riding but said it will be before the opening day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting Dec. 26.

“I’ll be back before then,” Stevens said.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Beholder is out of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

 The two-time champion filly spiked a temperature on Sunday, was treated with medication, and will not pre-enter the Distaff scheduled for Oct. 31 at Santa Anita.

 “She had a temperature, we had to treat it, and she’s not going to be able to run,” trainer Richard Mandella said late Sunday morning. Breeders’ Cup pre-entry deadline is Monday; fields will be announced Wednesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Stephanie’s Kitten gave her connections a scare Sunday when she got loose following a workout at Belmont Park, but she was uninjured and remains on target for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday.

 Stephanie’s Kitten, the Grade 1 Flower Bowl winner, was leaving the Belmont turf course when she got spooked by a noise, wheeled, and unseated her exercise rider, Walter Malasquez. Stephanie’s Kitten ran back onto the course and went almost an entire lap around before being corralled by an outrider.