Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Bellafina's retirement reduces field to 10
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Aside from the retirement of Bellafina, there were few surprises when pre-entries for the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint were announced Wednesday, with the status of Frank’s Rockette being one key as to how the $1 million race will shape up.
Frank’s Rockette, winner of her last four starts, has the six-furlong BC Sprint as first preference over the seven-furlong Filly and Mare Sprint, primarily because the shorter distance more than offsets her having to race against males in the $2 million Sprint, according to trainer Bill Mott.
Meanwhile, the retirement of Bellafina means no more than 10 will contest the 14th Filly and Mare Sprint, with Gamine the likely favorite when trying to become the third straight 3-year-old filly to win it.
Simon Callaghan had hoped to run Bellafina in the Filly and Mare Sprint, but the trainer said the 4-year-old Quality Road filly had “come up with a very minor issue that will prevent us from running, unfortunately” and will become part of the broodmare band at Ashford Stud, where she will be bred early next year to Uncle Mo. She retires with seven wins and five seconds and earnings of more than $1.6 million from 18 starts.
Bellafina figured as one of the middling wagering choices if she had gone in the Filly and Mare Sprint. Bellafina is owned by Kaleem Shah and the Coolmore partners.
“She has given us many great days, and we hold some special memories,” Callaghan said.
Gamine, a romping winner of the Grade 1 Acorn and Grade 1 Test, will be turning back from the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks for trainer Bob Baffert. She is scheduled to be flown to Kentucky on Sunday after being sent through her final pre-race workout at Santa Anita the previous morning. Three-year-olds have won the last two runnings of the Filly and Mare Sprint, those being Shamrock Rose (2018) and Covfefe (2019).
Other top contenders for the Nov. 7 Filly and Mare Sprint include Bell’s the One and Serengeti Empress, separated by a nose as the one-two finishers in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff, and Speech, winner of the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland in July.
The others pre-entered are Come Dancing, Inthemidstofbiz, Sally’s Curlin, Sconsin, and Venetian Harbor.