Beholder brightens up foggy morning at Santa Anita

Working under a fog so thick at

Santa Anita that her trainer couldn't

even see it, two-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder went five furlongs in

company Sunday morning in 1:02 1/5

under regular rider Mike Smith. Stablemate Broken Up was given 1:05.

"She worked in the fog so I didn't see it," trainer Richard Mandella said of

Beholder, champion two-year-old filly of 2012 and three-year-old filly queen last

year.

"She went real nice, though," Mandella added.

"She"ll get a bigger work next week, but she's in great shape."

By 9 o'clock, the sun was out in all its Southern California glory.

Beholder, winner of the Zenyatta Stakes on September 27 in her first start

since finishing fourth in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park on June 7, is on

course for a title defense in the $2 million

Breeders' Cup Distaff at 1 1/8 miles on October 31.

Beholder came out of the Ogden Phipps with a deep gash on her left hind pastern,

but recovered with time and posted a workmanlike three-quarter length victory as

the odds-on favorite in the Zenyatta, which she also won last year.

Eric Guillot, trainer of Moreno, said he has engaged Javier Castellano to

ride the Whitney winner in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on

November 1.

Moreno, a four-year-old gelded son of 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, has been ridden

by Junior Alvarado in his last four starts, including the Whitney and a

fourth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 27. But Moreno was

disqualified to ninth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup for hampering Wicked Strong,

causing him to clip heels and unseat jockey Rajiv Maragh, who suffered a broken

arm that required surgery. Alvarado was handed a 15-day suspension for the

incident, which he is appealing, according to Daily Racing Form.

Majestic Harbor will be a longshot in the Breeders' Cup Classic. That makes no never mind to Sean McCarthy.

"The horse worked good Wednesday," the trainer said, speaking of a four-furlong

move at Santa Anita in :48 4/5 under regular rider Tyler Baze. "He went around well and came out

of it in good order. He'll have three more breezes before the

race.

"He's kind of a push-button work horse. He'll do whatever you ask him to do.

He's easy to work with."