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Bella Vita Gets Easy Win In Betty Grable At Del Mar

Wins don't come much prettier than this one for the aptly named Bella Vita, who took advantage of a fast track and an easy pace to take the Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

In the Cal-bred only stakes, Big Sweep got out to an early lead, with Fi Fi Pharoah and favorite Bella Vita pressing the pace. Through early fractions of :23.20 for the first quarter and :46.17 for the half-mile, Big Sweep maintained a short lead, as Bella Vita moved up to second approaching the far turn.

Bella Vita and jockey Flavien Prat pulled even with Big Sweep on the turn, taking over the lead as the field entered the stretch. At the wire, Bella Vita was 1 1/2 lengths to the good, with Warren's Showtime making her bad late to take second over Big Sweep.

The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:22.23. Find this race's chart here.

Bella Vita paid $3.20, $2.20, and $2.10. Warren's Showtime paid $3.00 and $2.20. Big Sweep paid $2.40.

“We had a good trip. I got a good spot and we were able to move when it was right. She ran well and we finished up well,” Prat said after the race.

“Nice bookends to the weekend. (Callaghan-trained Astronomer was a $62.60 winner in Friday's $150,000 Qatar Golden Mile). The two horses ran well. This looked like a good opportunity (for Bella Vita) back on dirt. She's definitely a dirt filly. We tried turf last time because it was a restricted Cal-bred race but she shows she's a decent dirt filly and this was a good spot for her,” Simon Callaghan told the Del Mar press office after the Betty Grable.

Bred in California by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings Inc., Bella Vita is by Bayern out of the Storm Cat mare Queenie Cat. Trained by Simon Callaghan, the 4-year-old filly is owned by Kaleem Shah Inc. Bella Vita was consigned by Harris Training Center and sold to KSI for $400,000 at the April 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sale Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds In Training. With her win in the Betty Grable, the filly has three wins in nine starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 13-4-5-1 and career earnings of $346,722.

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Bella Vita Makes Short Work Of Cal-Bred Rivals In Spring Fever

In a thoroughly dominant performance, Kaleem Shah's Bella Vita, idle since May 16, made short work of six rivals as she powered to a 4 ½-length win in Sunday's $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Flavien Prat, the California-bred filly by Shah's 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern got six furlongs in 1:10.33.

Breaking alertly from her outside post position, Bella Vita looked to be in control the entire trip, as she sat a measured fourth, about two lengths off the lead 3 ½ furlongs from home. With Square Peggy rushing up on her outside, Bella Vita shifted out and in an eye-catching move, collared her rival approaching the quarter pole and drew off to win in-hand with her ears pricked.

“One thing about this filly, she's very tractable,” said Callaghan. “(Prat) said she's very push button. You can put her wherever you want, and I think when you have that tactical speed but you relax, it's nice for the jockeys so they can put her wherever she wants (to be).”

A close second in the six-furlong Evening Jewel Stakes May 16, Bella Vita was pounded down to 1-5 and paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10.

“Bayern certainly brings back lots of memories and this filly, she was bred by John Sikura and I'm so happy for John,” said Shah, who ponied up $400,000 to purchase Bella Vita out of a 2-year-olds in training sale in April of 2019. “I hope that this filly, along with many other progenies of Bayern, go on to bigger and better things.”

A runaway 5 ½-furlong turf maiden winner in her second start on Feb. 16, 2020, Bella Vita, who is out of the Storm Cat mare Queenie Cat, is now 5-2-2-1 and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased her earnings to $146,996.

Ridden by Alexis Centeno for Doug O'Neill, She's a Dime was second best, finishing 1 ¾ lengths in front of longshot Dr Wysong. Off at 8-1, She's a Dime paid $4.40 and $2.80.

Off at 22-1, Dr Wysong rallied wideout under Abel Cedillo and paid $4.40 to show while finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of Cassie Belle.

Fractions on the race were 22.70, 45.91 and 57.95.

Sponsored by the CTBA, the Spring Fever is part of the CTBA's Golden State Series, for eligible California-bred or sired runners.

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‘Small But She’s Got A Big Heart’: Biddy Duke Outlasts Jo Jo Air in Sen. Ken Maddy

Easily one of the smallest horses on the grounds, trainer Doug O'Neill's speedy Biddy Duke showed tremendous gameness late in taking Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, the 3-year-old daughter of Bayern got 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:02.03 while prevailing by a head over Jo Jo Air.

Breaking like a shot from her number two post position, Biddy Duke out-footed Jo Jo Air to the far turn and had a one-length advantage turning for home. With a host of pursuers, led by “Jo Jo” set to pounce a furlong out, Biddy Duke, who may not stand quite 14 hands tall, simply would not be denied while hand-ridden late.

“She's really fast and she's one of the smallest horses I've ever ridden,” said Hernandez, who picked up his second win on the day. “I knew we were going fast, but she was comfortable, so I let her go. When she saw that other filly come to us, she really fought back. She's small but she's got a big heart.”

Claimed for $40,000 six starts back on May 23 and most recently third over the course in the Unzip Me Stakes Sept. 26, Biddy Duke was off at 9-1 in a field of six fillies and mares and paid $20.20, $8.00 and $4.80.

“This filly has been so honest ever since we got her,” said Leandro Mora, assistant to O'Neill. “The idea was just to not go to the lead, just go close to the lead … Juan said she never quit, when he asked her, she just came back and that's all you see.

“We just pray and do the best we can.”

Owned by Joe Besecker, Biddy Duke, who is out of the Ghostzapper mare Ghostslayer, notched her first-ever stakes win and improved her overall mark to 20-7-5-3. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $280,332.

Breaking from the rail, Jo Jo Air ran a huge race in defeat, prevailing by one length over longshot An Eddie Surprise for second money. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Jo Jo Air was the second choice at 5-2 and paid $4.00 and $3.00.

With Mario Gutierrez up, An Eddie Surprise, one of three O'Neill entrants, was off at 9-1 and paid $4.00 to show while out-finishing Aqua Seaform Shame by a neck.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, heavily favored Magic At Midnight, who was off at 4-5, saved ground while a close fifth at the top of the lane, but never threatened from there while finishing next to last.

Fractions on the race were 21.80, 44.60 and 56.09.

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Curlin, Kitten’s Joy Top 2021 Stallion Roster For Hill ‘N’ Dale At Xalapa

A new chapter begins for Hill 'n' Dale as the stallions take up stud duty at Xalapa Farm just outside of Paris, Ky.

The 13-strong stallion roster, led by stalwart breed-shapers Curlin and Kitten's Joy, arrived a week ago to the newly renovated and restored 1,400-acre stallion station and nursery.

“We are aware of the pressures on the market due to the uncertain climate we find ourselves in,” said John G. Sikura, president of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. “Hill 'n' Dale will once again look to be an industry leader by offering exceptional value in its entire roster. We are all in this together and together we will grow stronger as an industry.

“There are two stallions on the roster in particular who embody our effort to provide exceptional value in these challenging times,” Sikura continued. “Maclean's Music is emerging as an important young sire. Jackie's Warrior has been described as the best two year old in the country. He is yet another example of his sire's ability to produce an elite runner. In addition, Violence who has led virtually every category since his runners hit the track is the co-leading sire of Grade 1 winners with the likes of Into Mischief. His future remains bright. I repeat, we are all in this together.”

Below is the 2021 roster along with fees:

Army Mule
2014, Friesian Fire – Crafty Toast, by Crafty Prospector
$7,500 LFSN

Bayern
2011, Offlee Wild – Alittlebitearly, by Thunder Gulch
$7,500 LFSN

Curlin
2004, Smart Strike – Sherriff's Deputy, by Deputy Minister
$175,000 LFSN

Flintshire
2010, Dansili – Dance Routine, by Sadler's Wells
$10,000 LFSN

Good Magic
2015, Curlin – Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun
$30,000 LFSN

Kantharos
2008, Lion Heart – Contessa Halo, by Southern Halo
$30,000 LFSN

Kitten's Joy
2001, El Prado – Kitten's First, by Lear Fan
$60,000 LFSN

Lost Treasure
2015, War Front – Wading, by Montjeu
$5,000 LFSN

Maclean's Music
2008, Distorted Humor – Forest Music, by Unbridled's Song
$20,000 LFSN*
*Fee valid on contracts signed prior to Breeders' Cup

Midnight Lute
2003, Real Quiet – Candytuft, by Dehere
$15,000 LFSN

Stormy Atlantic
1994, Storm Cat – Hail Atlantis, by Seattle Slew
$10,000 LFSN

Violence
2010, Medaglia d'Oro – Violent Beauty, by Gone West
$25,000 LFSN

World of Trouble
2015, Kantharos – Meets Expectations, by Valid Expectations
$15,000 LFSN

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