Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One will meet her rival Sconsin for the eighth time Saturday in the $300,000 Open Mind (Listed), and trainer Neil Pessin hopes she can avenge her defeat from last year's race.
Bell's the One got the better of Sconsin by 2 ½ lengths in the $200,000 Lady Tak one month ago. In last year's Open Mind, Bell's the One finished a half-length behind the Greg Foley-trained Sconsin in the Open Mind.
“She's taken us on a lot of journeys and I'm so thankful for her,” Pessin said. “I was pretty confident with her going into the Lady Tak and I wasn't holding back like I normally do talking about her.”
Bell's the One has been dominant at the six-furlong distance throughout her career and has recorded eight of her 12 lifetime victories going three-quarters of a mile. Entering this year's Open Mind, the 6-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection sports two swift half-mile moves in company with stablemate Fine Cotton. Two weeks ago, Bell's the One recorded the best half-mile move of 106 horses to breeze at the distance when she cruised :47. Last week, Bell's the One was the best of 90 other horses when she skittered four furlongs in :46.80.
Aside from Bell's the One and Sconsin in the Open Mind, stakes-winning Joyful Cadence could loom large for Bill Simon's WSS Racing and trainer John Ortiz. Joyful Cadence finished 1 ½ lengths behind Bell's the One in the Lady Tak after setting swift opening quarter-mile fractions of :22.42 and :45.42.
“I think she's right there with Sconsin and Bell's the One,” jockey Rey Gutierrez said. “She ran so well last time and Bell's the One and Sconsin are two very nice mares. Joyful Cadence is going in the right direction and is right there with them. I think she's ready to run a big effort.”
The six-furlong Open Mind will go as Race 7 of 11 with a post time of 3:50 p.m. The compact field of five female sprinters will be one of five stakes featured on the program. The others are the $300,000 Iroquois (GIII), $300,000 Pocahontas (GIII), $400,000 Locust Grove and $275,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society. First post is 12:45 p.m.
Here is the complete field for the Open Mind from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Sconsin (Tyler Gaffalione, Foley, 8-5); Joyful Cadence (Gutierrez, Ortiz, 7-2); Cheetara (CHI) (Vincent Cheminaud, Ignacio Correas IV, 15-1); Bell's the One (Lanerie, Pessin, 6-5); and Club Car (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ben Colebrook, 5-1).
The post ‘She’s Taken Us On A Lot Of Journeys’: Pessin Grateful For Bell’s The One appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
