Meadowlands: Amazons Bella Bellini, Test of Faith highlight Hambo undercard

It has been said that 4-year-olds have a difficult time racing older horses. Historically, following stakes-heavy 2- and 3-year-old campaigns, a 4-year-old lacks the maturity to compete with any consistency against older foes in what many term a "transitional" year. That said, two brilliant 4-year-old mares are set to compete on Saturday (August 6) at the Meadowlands in stakes events and are likely favored to beat the best in the division made up primarily of older foes.

Bella Bellini will try again to defeat past Hambletonian winner Atlanta in the $145,000 Dr. John Steele Memorial (race three) and Test Of Faith, the defending Horse of the Year, looks for her third straight stakes victory in the $173,000 Lady Liberty (race nine).

"She's definitely taken a big step up this year," said Nifty Norman, who trains Bella Bellini, last year's Hambletonian champion. "She's just gotten bigger and stronger."

A winner in last year's Hambletonian Oaks for Norman, Bella Bellini is back a year later and has been one of the sport's brightest stars in 2022, winning five times, including an incredible performance in the Hambletonian Maturity where she not only defeated male rivals but was outside for a better part of the mile-and-one-eighth contest without the benefit of cover.

"She came out of that race [Hambletonian Maturity] great, and we took it easy on her," said Norman. "I was kind of happy with the way she raced last week." The trainer was referring to a third-place finish behind Atlanta in a leg of the Miss Versatility at The Meadowlands on July 30. "It was a useful prep for this race."

While Bella Bellini has mostly faced mares this year, Norman may put her in against the boys in the future. "We've got her eligible to the Maple Leaf Trot," Norman said. "It's scary going up against Ake's [Svanstedt] group. But I'm fine with her doing so the big track at Woodbine Mohawk Park."

On the board in all 10 of her starts this year, Bella Bellini drew post two in the Steele, directly outside of defending Steele champion Atlanta, who came to life in a big way last week, scoring in a season's-best 1:50 mile. The small field also includes When Dovescry (post six), who captured the Steele in 2020.

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Bella Bellini's impressive career résumé would appear to make her a worthy candidate for the October International Trot at Yonkers Raceway. "I think we'd go if invited," said Norman. "It's not the ideal track for her being that her strength is as a closer, but she's been handling the turns a lot better this year."

Trainer Brett Pelling couldn't be happier with the way Test Of Faith has returned this year and is quite confident the daughter of Art Major will be sharp come Saturday afternoon.

"I think racing her those six straight weeks did her a lot of good," said Pelling. "You can see it in her demeanor. It looks like she knows what she's doing out there and is ready to kick ass."

Test Of Faith has won five of nine races this year heading into the Lady Liberty, with her last three miles indicative of the kind of talent she exudes. Second after racing parked the entire mile from post 10 in the Perfect Sting on July 2 at the Meadowlands, Test Of Faith followed that up with a pair of explosive miles, with a 1:48 1/5 victory in the Graduate (July 9) and then a career-best 1:47 mile in the Dorothy Haughton a week later.

"David [Miller] has the utmost confidence in her," said Pelling of Test Of Faith's regular pilot, who generally allows the race to come to him, as opposed to letting Test Of Faith dictate the action in each start.

In the Lady Liberty, Test Of Faith (post seven) faces 10 others, including Lyons Sentinel (post nine), who captured the event in 2021.

"She's the one I'm most concerned with," said Pelling of Lyons Sentinel, who enters the contest following a 1:50 2/5 victory in the Clara Barton at Plainridge Racecourse on July 25. The Lady Liberty has some other top mares in the field, with Perfect Sting winner Racine Bell (post five) and Mikala (post two) both conquerors of Test Of Faith at one time this year both inside her after the draw.

While it may be rare to see 4-year-olds compete successfully against older foes, both Bella Bellini and Test Of Faith appear to be different types and have used their 2022 campaigns to show the racing world that it is possible.