Saratoga undercard: Bellezza, Praying win early graded stakes
Responding to perfectly timed urging from Jaime Rodríguez, 4-year-old Bellezza split horses down the stretch, collared pacesetter Be Your Best and ran on to win at 5-2 in the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes, a 1 3/8-mile inner-turf race for seven older fillies and mares at Saratoga.
Trained by Miguel Clément for Ireland-based owner Moyglare Stud, the daughter of Siyouni has finished in the money in all four of her U.S. starts since she moved across the Atlantic after last fall.
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Amber Cascade (15-1) came back from a slow start to place second, Be Your Best (3-1) held on to finish third, and favored La Mehana (7-5) wound up fourth.
The winning time was 2:14.80 on the firm course after early fractions of 24.70, 49.19, 1:13.54, 1:37.24 and 2:02.14.
Bellezza paid $7.50, $5.10 and $3.50; Amber Cascade $12.20 and $7.30; and Be Your Best $3.90.
The victory qualified Bellezza for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Praying turns in 21-1 surprise in Prioress
A year removed from her lone victory, Praying turned a close race into a runaway in the final furlong when she won by 3 1/2 lengths for a 21-1 upset in the $175,000 Prioress (G3), a six-furlong sprint for five 3-year-old fillies.
Newtown Anner Stud Farm’s daughter of Vekoma moved from fourth to second up the backstretch behind front-runner Long Neck Paula, who set a pace of 22.70 and 45.74 seconds.
Ridden by Eric Cancel for trainer Robbie Medina, Praying drew even with Long Neck Paula and then put her head in front through five-eighths of a mile in 57.45 seconds. Long Neck Paula wilted from there, and Praying drew off to a winning time of 1:10.10 on the fast main track.
The favorite Delightful Claire (7-10), ridden by Luan Machado for trainer Phil Bauer, came back from her stumble out of the gate to finish second. Flat Out Time (5-1) rallied to come home third, Long Neck Paula (2-1) was fourth, and Stone Smuggler (6-1) finished last. Rojo Rita was scratched.
As the longest shot on the board, Praying paid $44.40, $10.60 and $5.00. Delightful Claire returned $2.70 and $2.20. Flat Out Time paid $3.20 to show.
Praying, a $410,000 purchase in April 2024 at an Ocala Breeders’ Sales auction, bounced back from a seventh-place finish May 24 in a Churchill Downs sprint. Her only previous win came in September 2024 at Horseshoe Indianapolis when she broke her maiden on third asking.