Bell's the One gets first Grade 1 for Pessin in gritty Derby City Distaff win

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For just a moment, as the fillies charged down the stretch of the Grade 1, $500,000 Derby City Distaff on Saturday, things felt normal inside a mostly silent Churchill Downs. Among the limited number of horsemen and other staff associated with the races permitted to attend Kentucky Derby Day, two groups of voices rose in urgent exhortation - some urging a rallying Bell's the One onward, others pleading with a gallant Serengeti Empress to hang on.

In the end, the photo showed that Bell's the One was the one, notching the first Grade 1 victory for herself and for trainer Neil Pessin. But the screams suddenly breaking through the silence of the track's biggest day were all lost on Pessin. He only had eyes for his filly.

"I'm more focused on my horses," he said. "I was just watching her."

The two put on quite a show to watch. As expected, Serengeti Empress, the 2019 Kentucky Oaks winner who won the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at this seven-furlong distance last time out, flaunted her speed out of the gate. Multiple Grade 1 winner Bellafina, a familiar foe, hounded her through the early stages, with Serengeti Empress completing the opening half-mile, her foe on her hip, in a blistering 43.77 seconds. Meanwhile, Bell's the One was sixth in the field of seven, and more than seven lengths back.

As the field swung into the stretch, Serengeti Empress put away Bellafina and fended off a brief rally from multiple Grade 1 winner Ce Ce, opening up a length on the field. But Bell's the One wound up with a steady rally under Corey Lanerie. She arrived on the scene nearing the furlong pole and came to Serengeti Empress with momentum. The leader dug in and the two dueled through the final yards, with Bell's the One prevailing by a nose, and Sally's Curlin another three lengths behind the top two. The final time was 1:21.07.

"It was a great horse race, and the winner ran great," Tom Amoss, the trainer of Serengeti Empress, said. "Make no mistake - I couldn't be more proud of my girl."

Pessin can also look with pride on the resume Bell's the One has put together. The 4-year-old Majesticperfection filly, who races in the colors of Lothenbach Stables, has now won 7 of 14 career starts and pushed her bankroll past $500,000 with the victory. The filly won a pair of black-type events, the Letellier Memorial Stakes and the Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial Stakes in the winter of 2018-2019 at Fair Grounds, and put together a productive 3-year-old season in 2019 in which she went on to win the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland, finish second in the Grade 2 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs, and finish second to dual Eclipse Award champion Covfefe in the Dogwood Stakes at Churchill.

This year, Bell's the One started the season quietly, finishing seventh in the Mardi Gras Stakes at Fair Grounds in February. She returned on May 30 to win the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs, then was a fine third behind Guarana and Mia Mischief in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes on July 11 at Keeneland.

"She tries hard every time," Pessin said. "The only times she's gotten beat, it's usually been my fault."