Bellstreet Bridie Brings Staying Power to American Oaks

At 1 1/4 miles on turf, the distance of the Dec. 26 American Oaks (G1T) adds an element of uncertainty to a contentious race for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita Park, with few of the favorites tested beyond 1 1/8 miles.

Bellstreet Bridie  is an exception. Formerly based in Britain, the Sir Percy  filly made six consecutive starts at 1 1/4 miles this spring and summer before she stretched out further with success. She has won four of her last five races, including her U.S. debut Nov. 24 at Del Mar for new trainer Mark Glatt.

Facing older fillies and mares that afternoon in the 1 3/8-mile Red Carpet Stakes (G3T), she sat just off an outclassed leader, took command before the mile marker, and pulled away for a 4 1/4-length victory.

Flavien Prat, who rode her to victory, is not back up in the American Oaks. He is on Stephanie Brant's up-and-coming Salimah , a recent stakes winner at Aqueduct Racetrack for two-time American Oaks-winning trainer Chad Brown.

Hall of Famer Mike Smith picks up the ride on Bellstreet Bridie, who must avoid regression off such a smashing U.S. unveiling to repeat. 

What Bellstreet Bridie has not done is prove herself at the top stakes level. The Red Carpet was just her first start in a graded or group race and followed starts in minor handicaps.

However, the promise that she displayed in those lesser events lured the attention of buyers in October at the Tattersalls 2022 Autumn Horses in Training Sale, where owner Red Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal acquired her for the equivalent of $311,166 from the Fitzroy House consignment.

Shortly after her Del Mar victory, Red Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal lost a key member of its family-run stable when founder Jed Cohen died Nov. 27. His son Tim manages the stable, and other family members are involved.

One filly with notable grade 1 experience in the American Oaks is Bobby Flay's Pizza Bianca , who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Del Mar during her initial season of racing in late 2020.

Most recently third behind elder rivals Regal Glory  and England's Rose  Dec. 4 in the one-mile Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar, losing 5 1/4 lengths, she returns on just over three weeks rest for the American Oaks, the final grade 1 turf race of 2022.

Having a small division on the West Coast, trainer Graham Motion has prepped her for Saturday's race. Christophe Clement trained her to her Breeders' Cup triumph and her overall 3-2-1 record in eight starts for earnings of $777,635.

Flay elected to continue to race her after she fell short of her reserve when bidding stopped at $3.45 million when part of the ELiTE Sales consignment at The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton earlier this fall.

Motion also stretches out Augustin Stable and Catherine Parke's Sparkle Blue . She pulled away late by 2 1/2 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Rubicon Valley View Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in late October.

Umberto Rispoli rides Pizza Bianca while Joel Rosario is aboard Sparkle Blue.

The American Oaks is the final race on an 11-race card at Santa Anita on Monday that begins the track's winter/spring fall meet. Six stakes are on the program, topped by the Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1).

Entries: American Oaks (G1T)

Santa Anita Park, Monday, December 26, 2022, Race 11

• Grade I
• 1 1/4m
• Downhill turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:11 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Rhea Moon (IRE)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Philip D'Amato	8/1
2	2Sparkle Blue (KY)	Joel Rosario	124	H. Graham Motion	8/1
3	3Lady Clementine (GB)	Lanfranco Dettori	124	George Papaprodromou	30/1
4	4Oakhurst (KY)	Hector Isaac Berrios	124	Philip D'Amato	30/1
5	5Bellstreet Bridie (GB)	Mike E. Smith	124	Mark Glatt	4/1
6	6Mise En Scene (GB)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	Brendan P. Walsh	4/1
7	7Skims (GB)	John R. Velazquez	124	Claude R. McGaughey III	6/1
8	8Pizza Bianca (KY)	Umberto Rispoli	124	H. Graham Motion	6/1
9	9Salimah (IRE)	Flavien Prat	124	Chad C. Brown	7/2
10	10Duvet Day (IRE)	Kazushi Kimura	124	Michael W. McCarthy	20/1
11	11School Dance (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	124	Philip D'Amato	15/1