Bellafina targets Santa Anita Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bellafina’s easy win in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday has put her on a path toward the Santa Anita Oaks.

The win, her fourth in a graded stakes, helped soften the disappointment of a fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2, her only loss in five stakes starts.

Bellafina is the early favorite for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 6, with an expected start or two in the interim. In the winner’s circle after Sunday’s race, trainer Simon Callaghan said the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile on Feb. 9 is the next goal.

“There are two races before the Santa Anita Oaks,” he said. “We don’t have to run in the next one, but there is a good chance that we do.”

The Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 10 also leads to the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks.

Last summer and fall, Bellafina, who races for Kaleem Shah, won three consecutive graded stakes – the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar in August, the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Sept. 1, and the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here on Sept. 29.

In the BC Juvenile Fillies, Bellafina was second on the turn, but faded to finish 9 1/4 lengths behind race winner Jaywalk.

There was little suspense in the Santa Ynez at seven furlongs. After stalking pacesetter Mother Mother through the opening quarter-mile, Bellafina took the lead under jockey Flavien Prat and pulled clear to win by 8 1/2 lengths over that rival, a stakes winner at Churchill Downs in October.

“Obviously, she needed to come back and show us what she did today, to validate that she’s amongst the best fillies in the country,” Shah said in the winner’s circle.

Callaghan said the Santa Ynez was arguably Bellafina’s finest performance in a career that includes four wins in six starts and earnings of $708,000. She earned a career-best Beyer Figure of 95.

“She would have won today if it was five furlongs, six, seven or a mile and an eighth,” he said. “She was the best filly. You want to see that sort of performance.

“We’ve always held her in high regard. There’s no secret about it."