West Coast Belle eager for Silverbulletday

NEW ORLEANS – West Coast Belle, undefeated in three starts and the winner of the Grade 2 Golden Rod in her most recent race, was credited with a half-mile work in 51.20 seconds at Fair Grounds on Wednesday, though trainer Wayne Catalano said West Coast Belle was not scheduled for an official work.

“We just two-minute-clipped her – open her lungs up a little before the race – and they caught her going an easy half,” said Catalano, who trains West Coast Belle for Gary and Mary West.

West Coast Belle is one of nine 3-year-old fillies entered in the $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes here Saturday. She and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Top Decile will be the favorites in a deep race with a graded-stakes-quality cast.

West Coast Belle had last worked Jan. 5, when she was out for a five-furlong breeze, and by all rights, she should be a fit filly. She raced in September, October, and on Nov. 29 and was back on the Fair Grounds work tab Dec. 17. West Coast Belle is on the small side, fairly lightly made and fleet of foot, but with a nice, long stride.

Catalano obviously would like to get West Coast Belle to the Kentucky Oaks. He said the tentative schedule calls for the filly to skip the Rachel Alexandra here in February, then race in the Fair Grounds Oaks in her final start before the Kentucky Oaks.

West Coast Belle, by Tapit, did nothing wrong at 2, winning a five-furlong Monmouth maiden race in her debut despite appearing hopelessly beaten at the eighth pole, then going on to wins in the Rags to Riches, at a one-turn mile at Churchill, and the two-turn Golden Rod.

“We always thought she could run, but after her first race at Monmouth, the way she won, was when I announced her as a good one,” Catalano said.