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Grade 1 Winner Bellafina Out Of Breeders’ Cup, To Be Bred To Uncle Mo In 2021

Multiple Grade 1 winner Bellafina was scheduled to have a farewell start in the upcoming Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland, but trainer Simon Callaghan told the Daily Racing Form that it would not come to be, owing to a “minor issue.”

The 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road will instead prepare for her first mating in 2021 with champion Uncle Mo, a resident of Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., who has rapidly become one of North America's top commercial sires.

Owned by Kaleem Shah and the Coolmore partnership, Bellafina has won seven of 18 career starts for earnings of $1,617,975. She was one of the top juvenile fillies of 2018, notching victories in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes and G1 Chandelier Stakes, as well as the G2 Sorrento Stakes.

Bellafina then won her first three starts as a 3-year-old, taking the G2 Santa Ynez Stakes, G2 Las Virgenes Stakes, and G1 Santa Anita Oaks. Later that year, she finished second in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

The filly's 4-year-old campaign included a victory in the G3 Desert Stormer Stakes, and runner-up efforts in the G1 Ballerina Stakes and G2 Great Lady M Stakes.

Uncle Mo, a 12-year-old son of Indian Charlie, stands at Coolmore's Ashford Stud for an advertised fee of $175,000.

His initial crop of runners helped him set the record for progeny earnings by a freshman sire in 2015, led by Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and champion Nyquist. The same horse won the following year's Kentucky Derby. Since then, Uncle Mo has established himself as one of the breed's most reliable sources for high-level runners and high-dollar auction horses.

The standout SoCal filly Bellafina won't run in the @BreedersCup Filly-Mare Sprint and has been retired, per @simon_callaghan. “Minor issue” precluded her from one final start. G1-winning earner of $1.6M goes to Uncle Mo early next year.

— Marty McGee (@DRFMcGee) October 28, 2020

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Baffert Big Guns, Tiz The Law, Swiss Skydiver, Magical Among 200+ Horses Entered for Breeders’ Cup

Eclipse Award winner Maximum Security (New Year’s Day), GI Kentucky Derby hero Authentic (Into Mischief), GI Belmont S. victor Tiz the Law (Constitution), Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who beat the boys in the GI Preakness S. and European star mare Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) are among the over 200 horses entered for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be held at Keeneland Race Course Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 and 7.

Maximum Security makes his first appearance at the Breeders’ Cup and is one of an imposing trio in the $6-million GI Breeders’ Cup Classic for trainer Bob Baffert. Winner of the GI TVG Pacific Classic in August, the Gary and Mary West runner was second to stablemate and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Improbable (City Zip) in the GI Awesome Again S. Authentic will try to become the first 3-year-old to win the featured event since the Baffert-trained Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) in 2016 and makes his first appearance since finishing second to Swiss Skydiver at Old Hilltop Oct. 3. The latter was also entered for the Classic by trainer Ken McPeek, but has a first preference for the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) looks to double up in the latter event, having defeated her elders two years ago. She faces a maximum field of 11, though Harvey’s Lil Goil (American Pharoah), last-out winner of the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on the grass, has a first preference for the GI Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Of the 11 pre-entered horses for the $4-million GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, six are from overseas, headed by Ballydoyle’s outstanding mare Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Trainer Aidan O’Brien is also set to be represented by G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), while John Gosden also has a pair entered, including G1 Prince of Wales’s S. hero Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Mehdaayih (GB) (Frankel {GB}) holds an entry for the turf, but is cross-entered with a first preference against her peers in the Filly & Mare Turf.

The GI FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile also has significant European flair, with five overseas-based runners among the main body of 14 and another two among the four horses that were not selected into the field. European 3-year-old form is represented by G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Siskin (First Defence) as well as Kameko (Kitten’s Joy), victorious in the G1 English 2000 Guineas in his first start of the season in June and a latest winner of the G2 Shadwell Joel S. over a mile Sept. 25. The home team is headed by defending champion Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), one of three entered by trainer Chad Brown, who will also send out Digital Age (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), both Grade I winners this season.

Championship Saturday kicks off with the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint for which ‘Rising Star’ Gamine (Into Mischief) figures to go favored cutting back to one turn. Top 3-year-old filly sprinter Frank’s Rockette (Into Mischief) is likely to pass the Filly & Mare Sprint in favor of a start against the boys in the six-furlong GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint. There she will likely face Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}), who also has a second preference in the GI Dirt Mile.

The ‘Future Stars Friday’ program features five championship events restricted to juveniles. Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music) will start a warm favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, while the 2-year-old filly counterpart feels a more wide-open affair, with the unbeaten Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) opposing GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner Simply Ravishing (Laoban) and the West Coast-based ‘Rising Star’ Princess Noor (Not This Time). Full fields are anticipated for the GI Juvenile Turf, GI Juvenile Fillies Turf and GII Juvenile Turf Sprint.

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Old Friends: ‘Farm Favorite’ Einstein Euthanized Due To Cancer Complications

Five-time Grade 1 winner Einstein has died.

The 18-year-old son of Kentucky Derby winner Spend a Buck had been pensioned at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, KY, since 2019. He was euthanized this morning at Park Equine Hospital due to complications of cancer.

Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, made the announcement this morning.

Trained by Helen Pitts, Einstein (Spend a Buck–Gay Charm, by Ghadeer) captured the 2009 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and four Grade 1 stakes on turf, including back-to-back triumphs in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.

Other wins included the 2008 Clark Handicap (G2), also at Churchill, and the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap (G2T) at Fair Grounds. Einstein was among the first to have victories on all three track surfaces: dirt, turf, and synthetic.

In all Einstein made 27 starts, winning 11 races. He won or placed in 13 stakes, all of which were graded, and his career earnings totaled $2,703,324.

Einstein retired from racing in 2010 to stand at The Stronach Group's Adena Springs near Paris, Ky. He later stood at Adena Springs North in Ontario, Canada, and at Magali Farms near Santa Ynez, Calif.

His top runners include G3 winner Rankhasprivileges and multiple-stakes-placed E Equalsmcsquared. In 2019 Einstein was retired by Adena Springs to the non-profit organization.

“When we first retired Einstein, he was diagnosed with a tumor,” noted Old Friends's Blowen. “Dr. Rhodes Bell of Park Equine performed a delicate operation and removed the tumor. The procedure allowed Einstein to enjoy more than a year of happy life with Old Friends before the fast-growing tumors re-occurred over the weekend.

“Einstein was as classy and smart as he was handsome,” Blowen added. “He was a farm favorite, and he was especially fond of John Bradley. I wished we could have taken care of him for another decade.”

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Michelle Lovell ‘Just Might’ Take A Shot In Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

Locally based trainer Michelle Lovell and her longtime owner Dr. Robert Griffon will attempt Breeders' Cup glory for the first time when 4-year-old gelding Just Might tests the waters of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (Grade 1) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“We thought about this choice for a long time whether to pre-enter or not,” Lovell said. “He ran two solid third-place finishes in his last two starts and I think deserves a chance at a race of this caliber.”

Just Might, who was bred by Lovell and Griffon, had a breakthrough 20-1 victory in the $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds. After the win, the COVID-19 pandemic struck and racing halted until the spring. Like many trainers, Lovell and her small string of horses were affected by the temporary racing shutdown. She moved her horses in early March to Ashwood Farm outside of Lexington and made the daily 70-mile drive from her house in Louisville.

When racing resumed, the speedy Just Might returned to stakes company in the $150,000 Shakertown (GII) but experienced trouble throughout his journey and finished ninth. Two months later, Just Might nearly pulled another shocking upset in the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint (GII) after he took the lead at the top of the stretch. He finished third, beaten 1 ¼ lengths to Diamond Oops and Extravagant Kid.

“Colby (Hernandez) rode him great in his last two starts,” Lovell said. “He is such a good rider and deserves this opportunity in the Breeders' Cup.”

Lovell has trained for Griffon's Griffon Farms since the 1990s in Texas. The duo raced Just Might's dam, Dynamite Babe, to nine victories through 21 starts. Just Might's 3-year-old full sister Dynamite Gift recently returned from the sidelines and is preparing for her fifth-career start.

“Dr. Griffon is such a lovely human,” Lovell said. “He's like family to me and I've been training for him for most of my career. The dam of this horse was his horse and we ended up breaking her and racing her. When it time to make her a broodmare he let me become a partner. It's super special to have a horse like this – and such a great storyline being a homebred.”

The pre entry announcement for all 14 Breeders' Cup races took place Wednesday from Keeneland.

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