Bellabel wins Blue Norther, her American debut
ARCADIA, Calif. - The first- and third-place finishes by Bellabel and Helens Well in Sunday’s $100,500 Blue Norther Stakes at Santa Anita reflected the immediate career paths of two newly turned 3-year-old fillies trained by Phil D’Amato.
Bellabel closed from fourth in a field of six to win her American debut in the Blue Norther Stakes at a mile on turf. Helens Well, the 11-10 favorite, was well-placed to early stretch before fading to lose by 2 3/4 lengths to Bellabel.
Bellabel will remain in training this winter, while Helens Well is bound for a 30-day vacation at a central California farm, D’Amato said in the winner’s circle.
Helens Well has started in five stakes at a mile on turf since Labor Day weekend, including two second-place finishes in September and October. She was eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in November.
In the Blue Norther, Bellabel ($7) was timed in 1:36.86 and finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of 9-2 pacesetter Shoppingforpharoah. Bellabel was ridden by Flavien Prat and was his second win of the afternoon, a day after he won six races to start 2022. Bellabel earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 77.
“Bellabel is nice and fresh and hopefully she can continue to improve,” D’Amato said. “Flavien fits her perfectly. He was nice and quiet and she moved up on her own.”
Shoppingforpharoah set a slow pace of 24.71 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 49.27 for a half-mile. Helens Well, ridden by Umberto Rispoli, was within a half-length of Shoppingforpharoah with a quarter-mile remaining, but could not sustain the threat of Bellabel, who took the lead in early stretch.
“I’m disappointed,” Rispoli said. “I had the right trip. I knew Flavien was behind me. I was traveling so good. When I asked her, I had nothing.”
Shoppingforpharoah, who finished a half-length in front of Helens Well, had her first placing in a stakes in the Blue Norther.
The Blue Norther was Bellabel’s stakes debut and first start for the partnership of Jeff Benowitz, John Rochfort, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano. An Irish-bred filly by the Lope de Vega stallion Belardo, Bellabel was purchased privately in the fall after winning for the first time in her fifth career start in a minor handicap at a mile at Naas Racecourse in Ireland in September.