Bella Ballerina Aims to Stay Perfect in FG Oaks

In her final stop on the road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1), undefeated Bella Ballerina  faces six challengers in the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) March 21 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. 

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 3-year-old daughter of Street Sense   won her first start of the year in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) Feb. 14 after completing last year with a victory in the Nov. 29 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Her career debut came Oct. 5 at Keeneland, where she broke her maiden by 4 1/4 lengths. Owned and bred by Godolphin, she is a half sister to 2023 Kentucky Oaks winner and champion 3-year-old filly Pretty Mischievous , who is a Godolphin homebred, and pursued a similar path to the Kentucky Oaks having also won the Rachel Alexandra Stakes. Bella Ballerina will look to go one better than her sibling, who ran second in the Fair Ground Oaks to Southlawn  three years ago. Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Bella Ballerina in her first three starts, will be aboard once again. 

The Fair Ground Oaks sets up a rematch with Luv Your Neighbor , who ran second in the Rachel Alexandra. In the stretch drive, Luv Your Neighbor took the lead from Bella Ballerina at the furlong pole but was not able to hold her off, as her rival dug in late to regain the lead and got the win by a half-length. The daughter of Constitution   is trained by Michael Stidham and owned by Lael Stables. She also ran second by a neck in the Silverbulletday Stakes to Taken by the Wind  to kick off her year. She has run second in her last four starts, finishing as runner-up at the close of her 2-year-old season in the Untapable Stakes to Hit Parade . 

Video: Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra S. (G2)

Trainer Brad Cox has Life of Joy  in the field. The Gun Runner   filly comes into the Fair Grounds Oaks off a second-place finish behind Zany  in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Last year, she won the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs before running fourth behind Bella Ballerina in the Golden Rod. Life of Joy is owned by Will Stroud, Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm, and For the People Racing Stable. Life of Joy has already earned 22 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Flavien Prat has the mount. 

See the full Kentucky Oaks points standings

Bella Ballerina ranks second on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 60 points, while Luv Your Neighbor is currently ninth with 40 points. The Fair Grounds Oaks offers qualifying points of 100-50-25-15-10 to the top five finishers for the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks, which will be run May 1 at Churchill Downs.

The Fair Grounds Oaks is on a jam-packed 14-race card at Fair Grounds, which is headlined by the Louisiana Derby (G2).