My Beautiful Belle pulls clear to 11-1 upset in Regret

The 74-year-old trainer Chuck Spina between 2022 and 1976, as far back as the Daily Racing Form database stretches, compiled a record of 6 for 91 in stakes races. But Spina won his second stakes race of the 2023 Monmouth Park meet on Saturday, when My Beautiful Belle scored an 11-1 upset in the $100,000 Regret, an even rarer open-stakes success for Spina, who has been training at Monmouth since 1971.

Stalking a strong pace under Jomar Torres, My Beautiful Belle wore down Oxana to win this six-furlong dirt test for older fillies and mares by 1 1/2 lengths. Well-meant Oxana probably tackled the two dueling leaders, Self Isolation and Olivia Darling, too soon, as that pair faded to last and second-last in a five-horse field after going in 22.10 seconds and 44.70.

Oxana, pressing three wide, took over on the far turn but could not match late stride with My Beautiful Belle while holding clear late-running 14-1 shot Sweet Willemina by one length. Olivia Darling won the pace battle with Self Isolation, but both horses were out of contention before the quarter pole.

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Spina scored an 18-1 win on Friday’s card with a maiden named Raw Power and sent My Beautiful Belle out to her third straight win and first stakes success. While the mare paid $25 to win, the performance didn’t come out of nowhere; My Beautiful Belle last September at Monmouth won a second-level allowance race by more than six lengths that yielded an 87 Beyer Speed Figure, plenty fast enough for this stakes race. Winning time over a fast track was 1:09.89.

Caliente Rum and Edie Meeny Miny Mo were scratched.

Five-year-old My Beautiful Belle was bred in Pennsylvania by Joseph Ioia, who owns her with Gayle Ioia and Spina. The mare is by Munnings out of Winiliscious, by Lawyer Ron.

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