Bellera Returns to Winning Ways in Comely Stakes
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Bellera wins the Comely Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Mathis Stable's Bellera returned to winning ways Nov. 29 at Aqueduct Racetrack, drawing off to a 1 3/4-length score in the $200,000 Comely Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies.
The daughter of Bernardini broke alertly from post 3 in the 1 1/8-mile test and took up a stalking position behind pacesetter Gold Standard, who led the eight-horse field through an opening quarter in :24.33 and a half in :49.69.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez gave the signal to go off the turn for home, and Bellera ran down Gold Standard before fending off 6-5 choice Arrifana inside the final sixteenth. The final time was 1:52.91 on a track rated fast.
Unraced as a juvenile, Bellera finished first or second in her first four starts, beginning with a runner-up effort in her debut May 31 at Gulfstream Park before a maiden-breaking 5 1/4-length score July 6 at Monmouth Park. Another win at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 21 and a second-place finish Oct. 6 at Keeneland set up her stakes debut in the Nov. 2 Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3) at the Big A, where she unseated rider Jose Lezcano after being squeezed.
"She won the last race, she just didn't have a rider on her back," joked trainer Todd Pletcher. "When something like that happens, you're always concerned if they come back safely, but she came back great and trained great. I felt that the mile and an eighth suited her well, and she came back great today.
"We were just focused on this. It's the last straight 3-year-old filly, two-turn opportunity, so we were looking forward to this," he added. "It seems like she gets better and better. It's nice when you have one that can handle the mile and an eighth like she does."
Sent off at odds of 9-2, Bellera returned $11.80 on a $2 win wager. She improved to 3-2-0 in six starts and more than doubled her career earnings to $209,960.
"Todd said to do whatever she wants, wherever she's comfortable. It was going to help her to get a burst out of there," Velazquez said. "Then I just sat quietly with her. She settled so nice. She was close and comfortable. I just waited until the quarter pole to let her go. She responded very nice. I hit her once and she went to squeeze the horse inside a little bit. She kind of went away after that."
Arrifana, trained by Kelly Rubley, entered 4-for-4 and finished three-quarters of a length in front of Gold Standard for second in her stakes debut.
Bellera was bred in Florida by Hardacre Farm out of the Unbridled's Song mare Habiboo and was a $90,000 purchase by Mathis Stables from Brookdale Sales' consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Habiboo has a Candy Ride filly that sold for $75,000 to Waves Bloodstock at the 2019 Keeneland September sale. She was bred to Medaglia d'Oro for 2020.