Beholder gallops, Goldencents jogs one day after arriving at Belmont

Champion Beholder galloped over Belmont's main track Friday

after shipping Thursday for the Grade 1, $1 million Ogden Phipps on the Belmont

Stakes undercard, June 7.

The Ogden Phipps is one of 10 stakes, nine of them graded, at

Belmont on June 7, with purses totaling $7.7 million, making it the

second-richest day in North American racing to only the Breeders' Cup.

"Everything's in great shape," Richard Mandella said of the two-time Eclipse

Award-winning filly. "She's doing as well as she was before she won the

Breeders' Cup (last November).

"I think Martin Panza (senior vice president of

racing operations) in particular and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) deserves a

lot of credit and gratitude from the industry for putting a day like this

together," Mandella added. "There's no question that Belmont Park deserves the

Breeders' Cup. Although the weather can be sketchy in November, a spring time

Breeders' Cup is not a bad idea."

The daughter of Henny Hughes concluded her Eclipse Award-winning season with

a win in the November 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff. She returned to competition on

April 20 with a 5 1/4-length romp in the Santa Lucia at Santa Anita.

"She shipped in great shape," Mandella remarked. "My good friend Tom Bush is taking care of her. She went to the track

to have a nice gallop (Friday morning) and will do the same tomorrow. We'll give

her a breeze at some point next week."

Princess of Sylmar rattled off four Grade 1 wins in a row in 2013: the Kentucky Oaks, Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama and Beldame.

The daughter of Majestic Warrior's sophomore campaign culminated

with a start in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, but she ran an uncharacteristically

dull race and finished sixth.

Close Hatches, trained by Bill Mott, captured a pair of Grade 1s in 2013 -- the Mother Goose

and Cotillion -- and has already won two graded stakes in 2014, including a

win in the Apple Blossom Handicap last out in mid-April. The First Defense filly

was second to Beholder in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Also expected for the Ogden Phipps are Classic Point and My Wandy's Girl, while Belle Gallantey and Lunar Surge are possible.

When asked why Beholder is shipping east to face such a salty field, Mandella

succinctly said, "a million dollars."

Breeders' Cup Mile winner Goldencents was also among the

talented band of horses to ship into Belmont Park on Thursday. The four-year-old

Into Mischief colt is targeting the Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap.

"He shipped in great," said Doug O'Neill, trainer of Goldencents. "He jogged today and will gallop tomorrow. As we stand right now,

he won't have a work, we're just going to gallop him into the race."

"We couldn't be happier with his condition," O'Neill stated.

"(The Met Mile) is a perfect layout for him and obviously the purse is huge;

we're really excited."

Traditionally run on Memorial Day, the Met Mile is shaping up to be a

phenomenal race in its new spot on the calendar, headlined by last year's Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice.

That Todd Pletcher pupil has won all three of his starts in 2014, commencing his year in the Gulfstream Park Handicap, which he won by a

head, and following up with a 4 3/4-length victory in the New Orleans Handicap

and a 9 3/4-length romp in the May 11 Westchester.

The star-studded field is also likely to include Broadway

Empire, Capo Bastone, Central Banker, Clearly Now, Declan's Warrior, Moreno,

Normandy Invasion, Romansh, Shakin It Up and Vyjack.

The Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan is shaping up

to be a big field of older male turf runners, featuring 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf

hero Little Mike.

Formerly trained by Dale Romans, Little Mike is now in the

barn of Carlo Vaccarezza. In 2013, the son of Spanish Steps won only one race, the Turf Classic Invitational

at Belmont Park, and finished seventh while going for a title defense in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Little Mike closed out his six-year-old campaign with a ninth-placing in the Hong Kong Cup,

but opened 2014 on a winning note when taking the May 17 Flying Pidgeon at Gulfstream Park by 2

3/4 lengths.