Bellafina 'wanted to keep going' in final Breeders' Cup breeze

Based at Santa Anita Park, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies favorite Bellafina worked four furlongs Thursday morning in 47.40 seconds toward the $2 million event run Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.

“It was really good,” trainer Simon Callaghan said of the bay daughter of Quality Road, owned by Kaleem Shah. “She galloped out in a minute and change and she looked like she wanted to keep going, so it was just what we were looking for.

“She will leave (for Kentucky) early tomorrow morning and we’ll just gallop her into the race. She’ll paddock school and go to the gate one of the days. She’s fit. She’s ready.”

Bellafina will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who has been aboard in her previous four races, winning the last three in a row, including the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes Sept. 29 at Santa Anita by 6 ½ lengths.

After finishing second in her first start last July 4 at Los Alamitos as the 1-2 favorite, Bellafina won her next four by a combined margin of 15 lengths.

An $800,000 purchase at the March Fasig-Tipton Sales, she has earned $488,000.