Female champions Beholder and She's a Tiger were both out for workouts the morning of March 15 at Santa Anita Park as they draw closer to their undetermined 2014 debuts.
Four-year-old Beholder, an Eclipse Award winner in each of the past two years, worked five furlongs in company Saturday in 1:00 4/5 under Gary Stevens. Her Richard Mandella stablemate, 4-year-old maiden filly Tiz Champ, went in 1:01 1/5.
Spendthrift Farm's daughter of Henny Hughes is likely to begin her campaign next month.
"She couldn't look better," said her Hall of Fame conditioner. "She galloped out (six furlongs) in (one) 13 and change. I didn't let her do too much."
The work was ranked the 15th fastest of 49 on the morning. It was her fourth timed drill since she went back to work Feb. 26 following a winter break.
Beholder has not raced since demolishing her rivals, including top females Royal Delta and Princess of Sylmar, in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) at Santa Anita Nov. 1. The feisty bay filly has won eight of 12 lifetime starts with earnings of $3,075,000.
She's a Tiger, who claimed last year's Eclipse as the champion 2-year-old filly, blew out a half mile in a bullet :46 flat, breezing. It was the fastest of 42 drills at the distance, the average time of which was 48.68.
"Very good," trainer Jeff Bonde surmised afterward. He responded "not yet" when asked if he had a race in mind for her 3-year-old debut.
She's a Tiger has also had four timed drills since returning to the work tab Feb. 22. The Tale of the Cat filly has not raced since Nov. 2, when she was disqualified from her nose victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) and placed second for interference with Ria Antonia.
Owned by Mark Dedomenico, Allen Aldrich, Lisa Hernandez, Stuart Downey, and Phil Lebherz, the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) winner captured three of six starts with three seconds for earnings of $725,650 as a 2-year-old.
Elsewhere, Santa Anita Derby and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (both gr. I) winner Goldencents breezed four furlongs for Doug O'Neill in :47 3/5.
"He was absolutely cruising," O'Neill said. "I couldn't be happier. He's back on his game and closer to his return, but there's no rush. We'll let him tell us when he's ready. The clocker who gave him 'breezing' knew what he was looking at."
