Patient ride helps Bellera to victory in Ladies Handicap

Patience proved virtuous and victorious for Bellera Sunday in the 149th Ladies Handicap.

After leading through the opening quarter of the 1 1/8-mile Ladies, Jose Lezcano, the rider of Bellera, was content to cede the lead to longshot Nonsensical. Around the far turn, Lezcano sent Bellera after Nonsensical, took over from her at the quarter pole and held Lucky Move at bay through the sloppy Aqueduct stretch to win the Ladies by three-quarters of a length. It was one length back to Another Broad in third.

Entropia finished fourth while Nonsensical faded to last. Annie Rocks and Our Super Nova scratched.

Bellera, a 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini, added the Ladies to her victory in the Grade 3 Comely Stakes here on Nov. 29. She was making her first start for Doheny Racing and Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stable, who now own her along with Mathis Stable. Bellera is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Pletcher left Bellera in New York for this race because of the filly’s penchant for 1 1/8 miles and the dearth of such opportunities out of town. Bellera is likely headed to Pletcher’s Florida base while he plots her next move. The next nine-furlong stakes in the division is the $100,000 Top Flight at Aqueduct, but that’s not until April 11.

There are rich, graded opportunities at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park in races such as the $350,000 Azeri on March 14 and the $1 million Apple Blossom on April 18.

Bellera certainly has tactical speed to be effective at 1 1/16 miles. Sunday, she broke on top under Lezcano and had the lead through an opening quarter of 25.59 seconds. But Reylu Gutierrez sent Nonsensical past Bellera and opened up a five-length lead through a half-mile in 49.89 seconds and maintained a four-length margin through six furlongs in 1:14.64.

“I wanted the lead but when [Gutierrez] took off, I had to give my filly a breather,” Lezcano said. “I couldn’t go head to head the whole way around.”

Lezcano began his move entering the turn, cut into the lead gradually before taking over turning for home. Kendrick Carmouche, on Lucky Move, followed Lezcano but could never get to her. Bellera covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:54.87 over a sloppy track and returned $3 as the 1-2 favorite.

“Jose did a good job of waiting,” Byron Hughes, the New York-based assistant to Pletcher, said. “I was happy he didn’t chase her. I was glad he rode patiently.”