Santa Anita news: Bellafina's at her best for Las Virgenes Stakes
Recapturing her best form winning the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes by 8 1/2 lengths on Jan. 6 after being “in season” during a disappointing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Bellafina is Jon White’s 2-5 favorite to continue her winning ways in Saturday’s Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at one mile.
“She’s coming into this race great,” said Simon Callaghan on a brisk Thursday morning at Santa Anita Park. “She hasn’t missed any works and trained really well since her debut this year. We’re looking forward to the race.”
Owned by Kaleem Shah, Bellafina drew in the middle of five entered with the three post position. The bay daughter of Quality Road once again will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who has been aboard in all of her six previous races, winning four.
The Las Virgenes, Race 5 of 11 with an 11:30 a.m. PT first post time: Calf Moon Bay, Joel Rosario, 12-1; Enaya Alrabb, Mike Smith, 4-1; Bellafina, Flavien Prat, 2-5; Mother Mother, Drayden Van Dyke, 7-2; and Tomlin, Tyler Baze, 15-1.
YA GOTTA WANNA TRIES SAN MARCOS SANS BLINKERS
Ya Gotta Wanna returns to stakes company Saturday in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes for older horses scheduled for 1 1/4 miles on turf. It will mark his first race since last Dec. 28 when the 5-year-old Proud Citizen gelding steadied finishing seventh as the 2-1 favorite in an overnight race.
“He’s ready to run,” said trainer Phil D’Amato. “We’re trying something different by taking the blinkers off to try to get him to relax more and hopefully he’ll finish better.”
Ya Gotta Wanna has had 14 career starts, racing in blinkers in his last 13 straight.
The San Marcos, which goes as Race 9: Unapologetic, Geovanni Franco, 10-1; Roman Rosso, Evin Roman, 12-1; Chicago Style, Drayden Van Dyke, 3-1; Epical, Tyler Baze, 7-2; Platinum Warrior, Shane Foley, 12-1; Sejo, Flavien Prat, 12-1; Dabster, Joe Talamo, 5-1; Beach View, Rafael Bejarano, 5-1; Lucky Soul, Heriberto Figueroa, 30-1; Flamboyant, Brice Blanc, 12-1; India Mantuana, Joel Rosario, 20-1; Ya Gotta Wanna, Aaron Gryder, 12-1; and Prince of Arabia, Kent Desormeaux, 30-1.
BLACKJACKCAT DEBUTS FOR HOLLENDORFER IN THUNDER ROAD
Hard-hitting veteran Blackjackcat makes his first start for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer Saturday in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes for older horses at one mile on turf after campaigning in his previous 20 starts for trainer Mark Glatt.
“He’s doing real well,” Hollendorfer said of the 6-year-old Tale of the Cat gelding owned and bred by Al and Sandee Kirkwood. “We’ll see how he does.”
Blackjackcat was fifth in last year’s Thunder Road after a wide trip as the even-money favorite. He has six wins and five thirds, with earnings of $590,365.
The Thunder Road, which goes as race seven: River Boyne, Flavien Prat, 8-5; Ohio, Ruben Fuentes, 5-2; Le Ken, Tyler Baze, 10-1; Desert Stone, Joel Rosario, 3-1; True Valor, Andrea Azteni, 8-1; and Blackjackcat, Mike Smith, 5-1.
FINISH LINES: Trainer Michael McCarthy of City of Light/Pegasus World Cup fame plans to saddle John Henry Turf Championship winner Liam The Charmer in the $2.95 million HH The Amir Trophy (presented by Longines) at a mile and a half at Al Rayyan Race Course in Qatar on Feb. 23. “The owners want to run there,” the trainer noted.