Champions Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) took to the Santa Anita track about an hour apart Thursday to tune up for their upcoming match-up in the Nov. 4 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff.
Songbird, who brings a perfect 11-for-11 record into the Breeders' Cup, worked six furlongs in a bullet 1:12.80.
“It was a very nice work, smooth and easy with a good gallop-out,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. “I'm not sure if she'll have one more breeze before the race. She might have two. She's done very well so far, and so have all the horses going in the Distaff. It's supposed to be a competitive race and it likely will be.”
Songbird is coming off a 5 3/4-length victory in the Sept. 24 GI Cotillion S.
Three-time Eclipse champion Beholder, working in company, went five furlongs in :59.20.
“Twenty-three, thirty-four and change, forty-six and one and :59, that's what I got,” trainer Richard Mandella said, rattling off the fractional times after the work. “He eased her up a little bit once she got clear. She couldn't look better, period. She'll have one more breeze before the race. This was kind of the serious one.”
Beholder had an eight-race win streak snapped when second behind Stellar Wind (Curlin) in the July 30 GI Clement L. Hirsch S. She was second behind California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the Aug. 20 GI Pacific Classic and was again beaten by Stellar Wind when second in the Oct. 1 GI Zenyatta S. last time out.
Stellar Wind, the third Eclipse champion pointing towards this year's Distaff, is scheduled to work Friday morning for trainer John Sadler.
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