Belle Hill adapts to new setting, surface in Autumn Miss

ARCADIA, Calif. - A switch to racing in Southern California, and a career debut on turf, proved to be easy transitions for Belle Hill in Saturday’s $101,250 Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita.

The Washington state invader scored a 9-1 upset in the Grade 3 race for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf with a half-length win over 5-1 Paulina’s Love. The win gave jockey Leslie Mawing his first career stakes win at Santa Anita on a filly who has won four consecutive stakes.

Belle Hill ($21.20) was timed in 1:35.10. Mawing, a fixture at Emerald Downs in recent years, kept Belle Hill in a stalking position to the final turn. Belle Hill was second entering the stretch, trailing Paulina’s Love narrowly, and outran that filly through the stretch.

“I was watching races on the turf all week and I didn’t want to be too far out of it,” Mawing said. “She took to the turf really well.”

Paulina’s Love, third in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap in July and seventh in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August, finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of 2-1 favorite Singing Kitty, a three-time stakes winner earlier this year.

Majestic Heat was fourth, followed by Miss Boom Boom, All Star Bub, Hundi, Princess Charm, Dreamologist, and Suva Harbor.

Belle Hill, who races for Aithon Stable and trainer Larry Ross, has a fascinating pedigree. By Sky Mesa, Belle Hill is out of Sealy Hill, who won the Sovereign Award as Canada’s Horse of the Year in 2007. Belle Hill, purchased for $250,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton horses of racing age sale, has won 5 of 7 starts and earned $173,220.

Belle Hill beat maidens in her second start at Golden Gate Fields in May and was fourth in the Seattle Handicap in late May. She has not lost since, winning the Irish Day Handicap, Kent Handicap, and Washington Oaks at Emerald Downs from late June to early August.

“She’ll do anything for you,” Ross said. “She trains well and worked well. I think at Emerald she was practicing for this.”

Ross said he plans to take Belle Hill to his winter base at Golden Gate Fields before making plans.