Beholder Gallops in Advance of G1 Zenyatta (VIDEO)

In her penultimate morning exercise, two-time Eclipse Award Champion Beholder walked onto Santa Anita’s main track at 5:50 a.m. today, then jogged off before settling into a strong gallop at the furlong pole en route to a solid mile and a quarter gallop as she nears an engagement in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.

In customary fashion, Beholder then backtracked to the finish line and proceeded through the Grandstand tunnel for another schooling session under the direction of trainer Richard Mandella in Santa Anita’s saddling paddock.  From there, she was accompanied by a stable pony back to Mandella’s Barn 4.

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm, Beholder is shooting for a record third consecutive win in the Zenyatta, and, if all goes well, it is widely expected she’ll then be pointed for what shapes up as an epic showdown versus American Pharoah in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland Oct. 31.

With Bob Baffert looking on, Triple Crown Champ American Pharoah came on the main track at 6:30 a.m. and backtracked to the half mile pole where exercise rider George Alvarez allowed him to stand and take in his surroundings before turning west and proceeding with a mile and one half gallop. 

Owned and bred by Ahmed Zayat, “Pharoah” jogged the wrong way up the homestretch on his way back to the Baffert barn.  America’s first Triple Crown Champion in 37 years, American Pharoah is scheduled to work an anticipated five furlongs on Sunday at 6:30 a.m.