Bellafina extends win streak in Santa Anita's Chandelier
Bellafina continued her tear on the West Coast Saturday,
winning the Grade 1, $300,000 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita Park and
securing herself a spot in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 2 at
Churchill Downs.
It was the third consecutive stakes win for the daughter of Quality Road, a
$800,000 2-year-old purchase for Kaleem Shah. She broke her maiden second time out
for trainer Simon Callaghan in the Grade 2 Sorrento before winning the Grade 1
Del Mar Debutante.
“I just loved the position she was in, loved to see her relax early,” Callaghan
said. “We know she’s got speed, so it’s just a matter of getting her to relax
and she showed a finishing kick. She’s a really good filly.”
Once the small field sorted themselves out, Vibrance took the lead over
Bellafina, Der Lu, Del Mat May and Brill. The fractions were set in 22.88,
46.51 and 1:11.12 before jockey Flavien Prat asked Bellafina to go. The filly opened
up, winning by an impressive 6 ½ lengths.
“That was great. Simon and all of his team, they
did a great job with her,” Prat said. “Last time out, she was pretty
aggressive. They took off the blinkers and did some work in the mornings and
she ran much better today than at Del Mar (in the Del Mar Debutante Sept. 1.)
She was much better in the race today; she relaxed and did everything right.”
The pace setter Vibrance was a distant second over Brill. Mother Mother, second
to Bellafina in the Debutante, was scratched.
Bellafina completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.59, the same distance she’ll run
in the Breeders’ Cup.
“Obviously that’s always been the target,” Callaghan added. “We’ve always felt
she was that caliber. I think she answered a lot of questions today. Showed
that she definitely gets the distance and showed that she can relax. I think
she’s a filly who’s just getting better and we’re now looking forward to the Breeders’
Cup.”