Unique Bella dominates Santa Maria Stakes in her 2018 debut

Unique Bella, named the champion 3-year-old sprinter for efforts in 2017, proved she may be just as good stretching out, opening her season with a dominating effort in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes.

Facing four rivals at Santa Anita Park, the daughter of Tapit opened up a gap early and only expanded it while racing around two turns for the first time in almost a year.

A shin injury sidelined Unique Bella, who’s trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, for many of last year’s major races. Connections appear to have a fully healthy filly this time around with her final time for 1 1/16 miles 1:43.45 under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who didn’t need the whip Saturday on his way to a nine-length score.

Unique Bella glided through opening fractions of a quarter mile in 23.54 seconds, with the half in 46.80. She sat 2 1/2 lengths clear up the back stretch, and they never came closer.

"It just comes so naturally for her," Smith said. "She's such an athlete. For as big as she is, she's just an unbelievable athlete. I think going long -- that big, beautiful stride of hers really works to her advantage.

"She's not looking to go out there and go in :24, :48 and try to get away with something. She's going to run quick, and if you can come get her, you can come get her. But she's just got a stride that never seems to quit."

A 1-9 favorite, she returned $2.20 to win. Last-out graded stakes winner Mopotism was second with Majestic Heat third.

The Santa Maria was originally intended as a rematch between Unique Bella and Paradise woods, who ran 1-2 last out in the Grade 1 La Brea. But Paradise Woods missed training due to a spiked temperature, leaving the flashy gray, Unique Bella, unmatched.

For owner Don Alberto Stable, her record improved to 7-1-0 in nine starts, with her lone finish off the board coming after the filly set unreasonably fast fractions in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. She rebounded impressively the next month in the La Brea and continued gearing back up Saturday.

Connections mentioned the Grade 1 Santa Margarita as a next-race spot for Unique Bella, with a larger goal Oaklawn Park's Grade 1 Apple Blossom later in the spring.