Bellafina Dominant Again in Chandelier
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Photo: BENOIT PHOTO
Kaleem Shah leads Bellafina to the winner's circle after her Chandelier Stakes win at Santa Anita Park
Kaleem Shah's Bellafina once again dominated her competition of 2-year-old fillies Sept. 29 at Santa Anita Park.
After clear scores in the Sorrento Stakes (G2) and Del Mar Debutante (G1) over the summer, the Quality Road filly trained by Simon Callaghan stretched out to two turns for the first time in the $300,000 Chandelier Stakes (G1) and won by her widest margin yet.
By the time she reached the top of the lane in the 1 1/16-mile test, after she passed pacesetter Vibrance in the second turn, it was clear Bellafina would be the winner—and she widened her advantage to the wire under jockey Flavien Prat to earn that score by 6 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:44.59. Vibrance, who set rapid fractions of :22.88, :46.51, and 1:11.12 through six furlongs, held second, well clear of Brill in third.
Unlike her first two graded victories, Bellafina settled off the pace in the Chandelier. Callaghan decided to take blinkers off the filly for the first time since her second-place debut run July 4 at Los Alamitos Race Course, and the move accomplished his goal. She raced 1 1/2 lengths behind Vibrance early and let the race play out, instead of seizing control herself.
"Last time out, she was pretty aggressive," Prat said of her Debutante score, when she ran the first half-mile in :44.68. "They took off the blinkers and did some work in the mornings, and she ran much better today. ... She relaxed and did everything right."
"I think the big key today was to see her relax, and going two turns, that was very important," Callaghan added. "We took the blinkers off—it was a decision I thought would benefit her. She was so relaxed today. The race set up how we hoped, she relaxed and was breathing throughout, and then kicked at the end. I think that's all you could hope for."
Der Lu, second choice in the betting at 2-1 behind Bellafina at 4-5, came in fourth and was followed by Del Mar May, to complete the order of finish.
Bellafina now has $488,000 in earnings, with three wins from four starts. Bred in Kentucky by JSM Equine out of the Malibu Moon mare Akron Moon, she was an $800,000 purchase by Shah in March from Wavertree Stables' consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
"I hope she goes far, from this day forward. ... I know there's a very good filly on the East Coast, so it should be a really good matchup (in the grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies)," Shah said. "She keeps impressing, but I think today she did it the right way."