Bellafina 'unbelievable' in work for Oaklawn's Carousel Stakes
Millionaire and Grade 1 winner Bellafina completed major preparations for the $125,000 Carousel Stakes for older female sprinters April 25 by working a sharp half mile over a fast track Saturday morning at Oaklawn for trainer Simon Callaghan.
Breezing on a sunny, cool morning immediately after the surface renovation break, Bellafina went in :47.80 under Joe Talamo. Clockers caught the 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road with a final quarter-mile of :23.60 and galloping out 5 furlongs in 1:00.20.
“Unbelievable,” Talamo said after getting on Bellafina for the first time. “Absolutely skipped over the track this morning.”
Bellafina had been galloping since being flown Tuesday to Arkansas from her Southern California base.
Bellafina hasn’t started since finishing second in the La Brea Stakes (G1) on Dec. 28 at Santa Anita. Earlier in 2019, Bellafina won the Santa Anita Oaks (G1), Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) and Santa Ynez Stakes (G2), all at Santa Anita. She also finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length by Covfefe, in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
“Believe me, I’ve watched her run quite a few times out there in California,” said Talamo, who moved his tack east for the current Oaklawn meet. “She’s nice, really nice.”
Also working Saturday morning toward the Carousel was another millionaire and Grade 1 winner, Mia Mischief, for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Mia Mischief breezed a half mile in :49.20.
Other Saturday workers included Eclipse Award winner British Idiom and a trio of 2020 Oaklawn stakes winners – Shedaresthedevil, Silver Prospector and Night Ops.
British Idiom covered a half mile in :48 for trainer Brad Cox, while stablemate Shedaresthedevil went five furlongs in :59. Shedaresthedevil won the Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies March 7 in her last start. British Idiom, the country’s champion 2-year-old filly of 2019, and Shedaresthedevil are pointing for the May 1 Fantasy Stakes (G3).
Shedaresthedevil shared the five-furlong bullet with Silver Prospector, an Asmussen trainee who is pointing for the Arkansas Derby (G1) May 2. Silver Prospector won the Southwest Stakes (G3) on Feb. 17.
Night Ops worked a half-mile in :47.40 for Cox in advance of the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses May 2. Night Ops won the Essex Handicap March 14.