Michael Imperio, Medallion Racing, Sofia Soares, Vincent Scuderi, and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Bella Sofia led her three rivals from gate-to-wire in Friday's Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o' Roses Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Patriot ($3.50) ran seven furlongs over the fast main track in 1:21.36.
Trained by Rudy Rodriguez and ridden to victory by Luis Saez, Bella Sofia defeated runner-up Obligatory by a half-length on the wire.
“She's pretty quick,” Saez said. “Today, we just let her be happy. She ran from there pretty quick and was comfortable. I was a little worried about [No. 1, Obligatory]. I know she's coming flying at the end, but I had plenty of horse. That was easy for her. She finished like nothing. She came back like she didn't race. A lot of credit to Rudy. Last time, she was a little tired at the end off a layoff, but today, she won easy.”
Bella Sofia jumped out to the lead under Saez, setting measured fractions of :23.62 and :46.18 before pulling away from the field into the lane. Her main rival, Obligatory, was last of the four early but moved into second turning for home. Obligatory was cutting into the winner's lead with every jump, but she could not catch Bella Sofia before the wire.
Bella Sofia did not change leads in the stretch, but held off Obligatory by a half-length for the win. It was another 10 1/2 lengths back to Glass Ceiling, and Easy to Bless finished fourth and last.
“She looks like she got a little tired in the end and didn't switch leads,” said Rodriguez. “I know in the back of my mind we ran her back quickly, but she's just so special. I'm just going to enjoy this one right now. There's a couple races in the program for her. I just want to see how she comes back.
“When she broke very clean, and Luis went 23 [for the first quarter-mile], I said 'OK, now we're good.' Most of her races she finishes in 11 and change, so it's going to take a really good horse to get her. She's once in a lifetime and a dream come true.”
Bred in Kentucky by Two Tone Farms, Bella Sofia is out of the multiple stakes-placed Consolidator mare Love Contract. A $20,000 purchase at the 2020 OBS July sale, the filly did not make it to the races until May of her sophomore season. She won at first asking before finishing second in the listed Jersey Girl Stakes. In her fourth career start, Bella Sofia won the G1 Test at Saratoga. The filly ended her 2021 season with a fourth-place effort in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, but is undefeated thus far in 2022.
Bella Sofia's record now stands at six wins, one second from eight starts for earnings of $840,100.
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