Bellagamba capable of scoring first U.S. win in Romacaca Stakes
STICKNEY, Ill. – Hawthorne Race Course is not replacing Arlington Park, which closed its doors last September and is shuttered this summer, the property the subject of a pending sale to the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. But Hawthorne, racing two-day weeks, has been putting together 10-race cards that, top to bottom, are stronger and more playable than anything but the biggest days of recent Arlington seasons.
Saturday is no different. The 10-race card averages nearly nine entrants per race, includes three allowance races, and got 10 in the race 8 feature, the $75,000 Romacaca Stakes for older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Chicago was afflicted by the Midwest heat wave this week, but the oppressive conditions were forecast to break Friday, with Saturday temperatures climbing only into the lower 70s. The grass course, however, should be baked firm and fast-playing for the Romacaca.
That should be fine for Bellagamba, who won a Group 1 over fast ground two Novembers ago in her native Argentina. Sent to the United States last year and turned over to Argentine expatriate Ignacio Correas, Bellagamba, racing in blinkers, made little impression in her North American debut last summer at Colonial Downs. But fall and winter were a different story.
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At Keeneland in October, the mare was an improved second in a second-level allowance race. At Fair Grounds in November, she was a somewhat troubled third, rallying into a slow pace, in a salty listed stakes, and on Dec. 26, in the Blushing K. D. Stakes, Bellagamba was second, beaten a neck by the capable Summer in Saratoga.
Correas had intended to start Bellagamba a couple months ago before she caught a relatively minor virus that delayed her return to racing. No matter – the mare is ready.
“She’s been training extremely well, better than she ever has, I think,” Correas said.
Bellagamba drew post 1 and prefers outside runs. Her jockey, French import Vincent Cheminaud, “is going to have to solve that,” Correas said, but Cheminaud, despite a paucity of opportunity, has shown off high-level skills riding the Kentucky-Indiana circuit this spring.
Curly Ruth is the 7-2 morning-line favorite over Bellagamba, despite the fact the latter beat the former at Fair Grounds. Let’s Cruise, who has run fast enough on dirt to win this but never has raced on turf, should set the pace. Russian Mafia, 20-1 on the morning line, is the longshot play to boost vertical exotic wagers.