Nikki Bella, R Girls a Charmer clash in sprint

Nikki Bella will put her unblemished record on the line when she takes on five other fillies and mares in Friday’s $46,000 optional-claiming feature, a six-furlong test on the main track.

Nikki Bella, a 3-year-old daughter of Bellamy Road, launched her career last fall at Gulfstream Park West under a $50,000 claiming tag and won by 9 1/2 lengths as the 2-1 favorite. She would not start again for nearly 10 months, but she returned with a bang, edging away to another easy 3 1/4-length victory while taking on older horses here Aug. 31.

“She suffered an injury after winning her first start that required surgery and was off the track for six months,” said trainer Victor Barboza Jr., who is looking to pad his lead atop the local standings.

Barboza said he is most concerned about the older and more experienced R Girls a Charmer, a stakes winner at 3 who comes off a couple of second-place finishes against similarly conditioned opposition this summer.

“Mark Casse’s filly is very good, very fast, and she’s also run 12 times,” Barboza said of R Girls a Charmer. “Mine has only run twice, so that’s a concern. But my filly is very, very talented, and she worked very fast and is training very well for this race.”

Should a speed duel develop between Nikki Bella and R Girls a Charmer, it could set the race up for late-runners such as Lucky Switch, who has not started since finishing third, 1 3/4 lengths behind R Girls a Charmer for second money, under similar conditions July 16. Lucky Switch has done the bulk of her training since that race on her owner’s GoldMark Farm before returning to trainer Ralph Nicks here this month.

Lucky Switch is one of two fillies Nicks entered in the main event, along with Dude Fantasy, who will race with blinkers for the first time.

Pancake and Faith N Hope complete the field.