Santa Anita
Unique Bella sharp in work for Santa Maria Stakes
Shigeki Kikkawa La Brea winner Unique Bella worked five furlongs at Santa Anita on Monday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Unique Bella, who won the La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26, remained on target for the Santa Maria Stakes on Feb. 10 with a dazzling five-furlong work in 59 seconds on Sunday morning, the best time of 109 works at the distance and one of only four works that were less than one minute.
“Did you see her? She was 15 lanes off the rail,” marveled Dan Ward, the local assistant to Jerry Hollendorfer, Unique Bella’s trainer.
Unique Bella is a finalist on Thursday night for two Eclipse Awards – champion 3-year-old filly, which is expected to go to Abel Tasman, and champion female sprinter, in which Bar of Gold and Paulassilverlining are the other finalists.
