Bella Vita holds off Warren's Showtime in Betty Grable Stakes
DEL MAR, Calif. - Bella Vita closed from a stalking position to win Sunday’s $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Del Mar for her second stakes win of 2021.
Bella Vita ($3.20) finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of 5-2 Warren’s Showtime, finishing seven furlongs in 1:22.23.
“It’s nice when it goes as you expect,” winning trainer Simon Callaghan said.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Bella Vita stalked pacesetter Big Sweep through early fractions of 23.20 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.17 for a half-mile. Bella Vita was always within a length of the front and took the lead in early stretch.
Bella Vita earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81.
Bella Vita held off Warren’s Showtime, who closed from fourth. Big Sweep (9-2) finished third, followed by Smoothlikebuttah, Fi Fi Pharoah and Harper’s Gallop in the small field of six.
The Betty Grable Stakes was the first starts for Warren’s Showtime and Bella Vita since they finished first and fourth in the California Distaff Handicap at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Oct. 16. In that race, Bella Vita was beaten 3 1/2 lengths as the 11-10 favorite.
Owned by Kaleem Shah, Bella Vita, 4, was purchased for $400,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale in 2019. The Grable Stakes was her first stakes win since the Spring Fever Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at six furlongs at Santa Anita in February, and her first win of any kind since an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs against open company here in August.
Bella Vita, by Bayern, has won 4 of 13 starts and has earned $346,772. Callaghan said Bella Vita is likely to remain in training in 2022 with an emphasis on statebred stakes and possible starts in graded stakes on dirt.