LEXINGTON, Ky. - Multiple graded stakes winner Bella Ballerina turned in a serious piece of work toward the May 1 Kentucky Oaks on Saturday at Keeneland, sitting behind two stablemates and then passing them on the inside while breezing five furlongs in 1:00.20. Bella Ballerina and jockey Tyler Gaffalione started off behind stablemates Diamond Eyed Jack and Get Them Roses on the backstretch, and there was still daylight between the Oaks filly and the top pair heading into the far turn. Bella Ballerina made up ground on the turn, then cut the corner inside of her stablemates.  "Just to give her something else to think about," trainer Brendan Walsh said of setting up the work that way. "Whereas normally, we'd have went outside, we just said we'll go inside today, just to give her something else to think about."  :: Get DRF Kentucky Oaks & Derby Betting Strategies by Marcus Hersh and David Aragona. Full analysis and wager recommendations! Bella Ballerina quickly cleared her stablemates, and was about two lengths in front at the wire. She continued to gallop out well ahead around the clubhouse turn. Bella Ballerina, a Godolphin homebred, is a half-sister to Pretty Mischievous, who won the 2023 Kentucky Oaks for Godolphin, Walsh, and Gaffalione. The filly won last fall's Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs and this year's Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds. She has been quite keen in both her starts this year, and it seemed to catch up to her last time out in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks, when she pulled early and gave in in a long drive to be second. Walsh has, thus, orchestrated her works to keep her behind horses the past two weeks to teach her to be more tractable. Saturday, she was allowed to be competitive and pass horses.  “She’s listening to all my cues, responding well,” Gaffalione said.  “She felt great. Her spirits were up,” he added. “She’s got a ton of confidence within herself, and she’s happy. That’s the main thing coming into these races; just make sure their attitude and everything is clicking.” Bella Ballerina has worn blinkers in all four of her starts. She has turned in her three breezes this month without them. Walsh is unsure if she will continue to wear them in the Oaks.  "I don't know yet, not 100 percent sure," Walsh said. "We'll use every minute we have before we decide."  Bella Ballerina will van to Churchill Downs tomorrow and will have a final maintenance breeze for the Oaks next weekend, with the day depending on the weather.  "She's doing everything that's required," Walsh said. "She looks great, and hopefully we have another good week or so and another good work next week and then we're there. It's up to her."  In other Oaks preparations Saturday morning, Always a Runner, who won the Grade 3 Gazelle in just her second career start, worked a half-mile on the Belmont training track, finishing in 48.87 outside of Point of Reference.  Trainer Chad Brown said that Jose Ortiz would ride Always a Runner in the Kentucky Oaks. Brown, who praised Dylan Davis for his ride on Always a Runner in the Gazelle, said he went to Ortiz because he is the reigning leading rider at Churchill Downs. He also noted that Ortiz won three Grade 1 stakes on the filly Guarana for him and co-owner Three Chimneys Farm, the owner of Always a Runner. Always a Runner leaves New York by van tomorrow.  – additional reporting by David Grening  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.