Bella Sofia, after Vagrancy triumph, won’t rush back

ELMONT, N.Y. - With the major targets for Bella Sofia later in the year, the 4-year-old filly who narrowly won Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap will likely get plenty of time before she makes her second start of 2022, trainer Rudy Rodriguez said.

Bella Sofia, last year’s Grade 1 Test winner, nosed out six-time stakes winner Frank’s Rockette in the Vagrancy, Bella Sofia’s first start since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Both Bella Sofia and Frank’s Rockette earned 100 Beyer Speed Figures for their performances.

Rodriguez said Bella Sofia looked good Sunday morning, but did leave a little feed. Rodriguez said he would talk to the bevy of owners of Bella Sofia, but he did say it was unlikely she would run back in the Grade 2, $300,000 Bed O’ Roses here on June 10.

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“If she won by 10, comfortable, maybe, but yesterday she ran hard from the gate,” Rodriguez said.

Part-owner Lizzy Imperio said in a post-race interview Saturday that the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap on July 27 at Saratoga could be the next spot. That could be a prep for the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 28, which is her main summer objective. The ultimate objective for Bella Sofia is the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland in November.

Trainer Bill Mott said Frank’s Rockette, who earned her first triple-digit Beyer in her 26th career start, could be considered for the Bed O’ Roses, though he does plan on running Obligatory in that spot. Obligatory won the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 7.

Of Frank’s Rockette, who finished eighth for the second time in her career, equaling her number of wins, Mott said, “She ran her heart out. She ran super.”