Bella Ballerina stays perfect, takes Oaks points lead

Bella Ballerina remained unbeaten with a hard-fought half-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds, earning 50 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points to take the top spot on the leaderboard with 60.

Sent off as the 4-5 favorite, the 3-year-old Godolphin homebred went straight to the lead under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Chased on the outside through an opening half-mile in 46.98 seconds, the daughter of Street Sense came under pressure off the turn for home and was headed by Luv Your Neighbor at the top of the stretch. At the eighth pole, Bella Ballerina switched to her right lead (correct) on the inside of Luv Your Neighbor and fought back gamely to prevail in a final time of 1:43.38 for 1 1/16 miles on a fast track.

"She relaxed well for me going into the far turn and had to battle down the stretch to get it done," Gaffalione said. "I thought she was getting a little tired on me, but the more I asked of her the more she dug in."

Gaffalione also won the Risen Star Stakes (G2) one race later aboard Paladin.

The filly, off since a late November victory in the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, improved her record to 3: 3-0-0 with career earnings of $481,000. She paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.10.

"Hats off to her. She fought hard when she could've got beat," trainer Brendan Walsh said. "I think she'll improve a lot from her run today. She probably needed today's race. I was still able to get the job done."

Bella Ballerina's half-sister Pretty Mischievous, also a Godolphin homebred trained by Walsh, won the Rachel Alexandra three years ago and went on to capture the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Luv Your Neighbor earned 25 Oaks qualifying points and now holds 40. She returned $5.00 and $3.60. Just Singing closed belatedly for third, earning 15 points to bring her total to 18. She paid $2.40 to show. Powered by Family finished fourth and earned 10 points, and Classic Guide picked up five for fifth. Majestical completed the field of six.

Since the race took its current name in honor of Hall of Fame filly Rachel Alexandra in 2010, five winners have gone on to capture the Kentucky Oaks (G1): Good Cheer (2025), Pretty Mischievous (2023), Serengeti Empress (2019), Monomoy Girl (2018) and Untapable (2014). Before the renaming, Summerly (2005), Silverbulletday (1999), Blushing K.D. (1997) and Tiffany Lass (1986) accomplished the same feat.

The final leg of the Fair Grounds series for 3-year-old fillies, the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), runs on Louisiana Derby day, Saturday, March 21.