Perhaps Bellabel learned a useful new trick during her more than 15 months away from racing.
For the first time in her five North American starts Bellabel seized the early lead Feb. 3 in the $101,000 Megahertz Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park and that running style proved to her liking under jockey Flavien Prat. After cruising through the early fractions, the 5-year-old Belardo mare showed another gear when asked by Prat out of the far turn and she quickly opened a clear advantage on rivals that she would maintain to the wire for a one-length lead.
Racing for the partnership of Agave Racing Stable, Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig, and Ray Pagano, and trained by Phil D'Amato, 9-5 favorite Bellabel completed the mile test for fillies and mares in 1:36.16 on firm turf. She was followed home by Mouffy, who was rank early, in second and Justique in third.
Off the Bench
"I give credit to my staff especially at Los Alamitos where they prepped her," D'Amato said of being ready off the extended layoff. "They did a great job there and just put the finishing touches here. ... It's her first time against older after a long lay off and she showed she still has it."
- It's the second graded stakes win for Bellabel, who also has placed in a pair of grade 1 races. Those grade 1-placed efforts closed out her 3-year-old season and she didn't race last year.
The Thunder Road Stakes
Perry and Ramona Bass' Goliad put the pedal to the metal and embarrassed his competition with a dominating win in the $101,000 Thunder Road Stakes (G3T).
Coming off a wire-to-wire allowance victory Jan. 7 at Santa Anita, jockey Kazushi Kimura made no secret of his intent to repeat that effort as he allowed the 7-year-old gelded son of War Front to do as he pleased.
Goliad cruised through fractions of :23.36, :46.07, and 1:09.22, opening up by as many as 12 lengths through three-quarters of a mile.
Dandy Man Shines was way back in second, gradually closing the gap down the stretch. However, Goliad's victory was never in question as he stopped the clock in 1:33.57 for the one-mile journey, winning by three lengths.
Ah Jeez was third and favored Tio Magico was fourth.
"I already knew he is a headstrong horse," Kimura said. "Today, he wasn't headstrong, but was a little ears up in the first part and I think a little more comfortable."
Kimura is now 2-for-2 aboard Goliad.
The Richard Mandella trainee paid $12.80 to win while earning his first graded stakes victory. Ramona Bass bred the gelding herself. He now holds a record of 4-4-1 from 16 starts for earnings of $262,371.
