La Pelosa nails BC Juvenile Fillies Turf berth

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — La Pelosa and the favored My Gal Betty were preferred by the bettors in Sunday’s Grade 1, $260,500 Natalma, and they ran one-two in the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In qualifier at Woodbine.

La Pelosa ($8.50), an English raider owned by Godolphin, bided her time in midpack while saving ground in the bulky 13-horse field, as Eyeinthesky set a fast pace in the one-mile turf route for 2-year-old fillies.

La Pelosa rallied strongly inside of the wide-closing My Gal Betty in the stretch, and got home on top by a length in a final time of 1:33.70. Bold Script finished another two lengths back in third, and Pivottina was another neck back in fourth.

Jamie Spencer rode La Pelosa, a Dandy Man offspring, for trainer Charles Appleby.

“She did everything right,” Spencer said. “The pace was strong. I was a little farther back than I’d initially planned, but that’s the way it panned out. She was very brave in the straight when I asked her for her full effort.”

Assistant trainer Alex Merriam indicated that La Pelosa would probably start next in the Grade 1 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill, for which she earned a fees-paid berth with the Natalma win.

“She’s a lovely filly,” Merriam said. “She’s turned a few heads this week. She’s done everything right. We’re really pleased with her. I think the (Breeders’ Cup) has been in the back of Charlie’s mind for a while.”

The Irish-bred La Pelosa banked $150,000 in her first stakes success.