Belmont: Stakes winners Fearless Jacq, Bella Castani meet at midpoint in Diamondrella

ELMONT, N.Y. – Fearless Jacq and Bella Castani have both won overnight stakes at Belmont Park this summer, with Fearless Jacq victorious at six furlongs and Bella Castani at a mile.

Sunday, the two 3-year-old fillies will meet in the middle when Fearless Jacq and Bella Castani head a field of seven entered in the $100,000 Diamondrella Stakes going seven furlongs on turf at Belmont Park.

Both Fearless Jacq and Bella Castani are coming off a stakes loss at Monmouth Park. On June 15, Fearless Jacq was a late-running second in the Crank It Up Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs, a distance her trainer, John Terranova, felt was a tad too short. Prior to that, Fearless Jacq won the Miss Otis Stakes going six furlongs here on May 19.

“She couldn’t get up in time. She was closing fast,” said Terranova, referring to the Crank It Up as well as a pair of five-furlong sprints at Gulfstream in which Fearless Jacq got beat. “It seemed like when she ran six here around the big, wide-open turns she was better suited for that. She should be perfectly suited for this race.”

Luis Saez rides Fearless Jacq from post 4.

On April 27, Bella Castani won the Tweedside Stakes going a mile at Belmont. A month later, she was the 3-5 favorite in the Little Silver at Monmouth, also at a mile, but wa s too rank early on and found herself closer to the pace than usual before fading to seventh.

In cutting Bella Castani back to a one-turn race, trainer Christophe Clement is hoping “there’d be more pace which might make it easier for her to settle.”

Jose Lezcano, aboard for both of Bella Castani’s victories, gets back on the filly from post 5.

Effie Trinket, a New York-bred daughter of Freud, may have found her niche as a turf sprinter, rallying powerfully last time to win a statebred allowance race gong six furlongs at Belmont. She has since fired two bullet works and should appreciate the added furlong of this race. Rosie Napravnik is in town and will ride for trainer Rick Violette.

Trainer Linda Rice has the uncoupled entry of Exchange Cat and Justoneatheguys in this race. Exchange Cat was second to Bella Castani in the Tweedside and third to Fearless Jacq in the Miss Otis. Justoneatheguys is coming off a win for a claiming tag of $65,000. Justoneatheguys, breaking from the rail under Jose Ortiz, could play out as the primary speed.

Magnificent Shirl, plagued by troubled trips in her last three starts, and Fab Flowers, second to Fearless Jacq in the Miss Otis, complete the competitive field.

Let Me Entertain U, Girl Code, and Majestic Marquet were entered for the main track.