Bella Luma poised for improvement in Friday turf race

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bella Luma was beaten 5 1/4 lengths when fifth behind Sircat Sally in the California Cup Oaks for statebred fillies at Santa Anita on Jan. 28. To trainer Ed Moger Jr., the performance was better than it looked.

“She missed a little bit of time before that race because she was sick,” Moger said. “She had a cold.”

Bella Luma will have her second start of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting in an optional claimer at a mile on turf for California-bred 3-year-old fillies Friday. The race, the third on an eight-race card, drew a field of eight. Five of them ran in the Cal Cup Oaks, including How About Zero and Princess Roi, who were second and third.

Those runners will attract the bulk of support in the optional claimer, but Moger is hopeful Bella Luma can perform better after recovering from her illness and running in the Cal Cup Oaks.

Owned by breeder Tom Bachman and Linda Brown, Bella Luma has one win in six starts, winning a maiden race by nine lengths at Golden Gate Fields last October. She was third behind Sircat Sally and Cash Prize in the Soviet Problem Stakes at Los Alamitos in December.

How About Zero drew the rail in Friday’s race. Trained by Doug O’Neill for Paul and Zillah Reddam, How About Zero was beaten 2 1/4 lengths at 27-1 by the heavily favored Sircat Sally. How About Zero won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes at seven furlongs on Nov. 4, her only win in six starts.

Princess Roi has performed consistently since being transferred to turf. She won a maiden race in November at Del Mar in her first start on the surface and was second to Miss Sugars in the Blue Norther Stakes against open company here on turf Dec. 29.