Donna Veloce Gets Farm Rest; Bellafina Aims at Carousel

Two of trainer Simon Callaghan's best racehorses, Donna Veloce and Bellafina, are headed in different directions this spring. Donna Veloce will receive 60 days of farm rest, and Bellafina has been sent from Santa Anita Park to Oaklawn Park to race in the $125,000 Carousel Stakes, a six-furlong sprint April 25.

Donna Veloce, a 3-year-old Uncle Mo  filly, handily won the Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita in her lone start this year. She worked three times following that race, most recently April 4 at Santa Anita when she breezed five furlongs in 1:01 3/5.

Callaghan said in a text message she had a "minor setback" without specifying further. He still considers her a possible starter for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, postponed until Sept. 4 this year because of COVID-19.

Oaklawn is one of a select number of tracks still operating, conducting racing without spectators. Santa Anita, where Donna Veloce is based, was closed in late March by the Los Angeles County Health Department.

Last year at 2, Donna Veloce won her Sept. 28 debut by 9 1/4 lengths when sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita. Just over a month later, she ran second, beaten a neck by British Idiom, in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1 at Santa Anita. She wrapped up her juvenile campaign with another close runner-up finish in the Dec. 7 Starlet Stakes (G1) at Los Alamitos, finishing a half-length behind Bast.

Bellafina, a six-time graded stakes winner and earner of more than $1.4 million, has won stakes from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, though her better races over the second half of last year came around one turn. She was second in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) behind Covfefe and also was the runner-up in the Dec. 28 La Brea Stakes (G1) to Hard Not to Love.

The 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road  has recorded six workouts leading to her first start of the year, capped by a half-mile breeze in :48 April 12, two days before flying to Arkansas.

"She's doing really good, and she's ready to run," Callaghan said in a text. "This wasn't our initial plan, but I think it's a good time to drop into an easier spot and, hopefully, get her first win outside of California. Joe Talamo rides."

Bellafina, whose most prestigious victories include the Santa Anita Oaks (G1), Chandelier Stakes (G1), and Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1), has raced four times away from California, always against elite stakes company. She placed fourth in the 2018 Tito's Handmade Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and fifth in the 2019 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), both at Churchill Downs, and later was third in the Longines Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and fourth in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing.

Bellafina and Donna Veloce are owned by Kaleem Shah, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. Shah bought the fillies for $800,000 apiece at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected 2-year-olds in training sale. Bellafina was purchased in 2018 and Donna Veloce last year, when agent Ben McElroy secured her for the owner.