Bellabel Heads D'Amato Trio in Royal Heroine

Trainer Phil D'Amato has captured two of the last three runnings of Santa Anita Park's $100,000 Royal Heroine Stakes (G3T). This year, the conditioner will look to take yet another rendition of the mile turf contest for older fillies and mares when he saddles not one but three live contenders April 27.

Leading the D'Amato trio is the grade 2-winning mare Bellabel . The Irish import, owned in partnership by Agave Racing Stable, Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig, and Ray Pagano, had made a notable splash in her first North American campaign. In addition to landing two stakes, including the 2022 San Clemente Stakes (G2T), she was runner-up in the 2022 Del Mar Oaks (G1T) and third in that year's Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T). The 5-year-old daughter of Belardo  was then sidelined for more than 16 months before returning to action in the Feb. 3 Megahertz Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita. Bellabel didn't disappoint, taking the Megahertz in a gate-to-wire performance over Mouffy  and Royal Heroine rival Justique .

With Flavien Prat, her rider in her last two starts, in Louisville, Ky., over the weekend to work Kentucky Derby (G1) mount Catching Freedom , Antonio Fresu has the call on Bellabel.

D'Amato will also saddle Lakota Spirit , winless since a Del Mar allowance optional claiming score last November, and The Elkstone Group'sUncorked . The latter, an Australian-bred mare, will make her first start since transferring to D'Amato's barn. Brittany Russell had previously trained Uncorked, who was last seen finishing third in the Nov. 19 Forever Together Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.