Bell’s The One Returns To Churchill After TCA Win At Keeneland

Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One returned to trainer Neil Pessin's base at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Saturday night following her victory in the six-furlong Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Pessin reported things were fine this morning with Bell's the One, who added Saturday's score to her victory in the Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run in 2019. In six sprints at Keeneland in her career, Bell's the One has three wins, one second, and two thirds.

The TCA victory secured a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., on Nov. 6. Bell's the One finished third behind champion Gamine in last year's Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland.

Plans are indefinite for Michael and Katherine Ball's Club Car, who came up a neck short of victory.

“Not sure what is next, but it's not going to be the Breeders' Cup,” trainer Ben Colebrook said. “She has been running a lot, 12 times in the past 12 months.”

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Thoroughbred Club Win Gives Bell’s The One Chance At Breeders’ Cup Return Engagement

Third behind Gamine in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2020, Lothenbach Stables Inc.'s Bell's the One received an automatic fees-paid entry to this year's edition of the race with a hard-fought come-from-behind neck victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. Yet her trainer, Neil Pessin, said she seems to get no respect.

Patiently ridden by Corey Lanerie, the 5-year-old mare by Majesticperfection rallied from last  with a four-wide move into the stretch, hit the front inside the eighth pole, then held off a fast closing  Club Car. Estilo Talentoso finished a head behind the runner-up, followed 1 1/2 lengths farther back by Inthemidstofbiz, Frank's Rockette and Miss Mosaic.

The Thoroughbred Club of America is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In race for the Filly & Mare Sprint division, giving the winner a fees-paid berth and a travel allowance.

Bell's the One ran the six furlongs in 1:08.63 on a fast main track after getting a good set-up with quick fractions of :21.57, :44.80 and :56.60 from pacesetter Inthemidstofbiz. She paid $3 to win as the heavy favorite.

“When I ride her, I just let her gather her feet underneath her and be comfortable wherever she needs to be,” said Lanerie. “Today I actually tried to keep her a little closer because I was afraid if they got away from me I wouldn't be able to make up the ground, going six furlongs, and she gives everything she's got every time. I could tell from about the five-sixteenths pole, I'm in contention where, if she gives me her kick, I'm going to catch them. She has the fastest turn of foot (of any horse) I've ever been on.”

Bell's the One gave veteran horseman Pessin his first career Grade 1 win last year when she scored in the Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5. She finished a good third behind Gamine – beaten 6 1/4 lengths – in the Filly & Mare Sprint, but Pessin wouldn't immediately commit to this year's Breeders' Cup, to be held at Del Mar in California Nov. 5-6.

“It will still depend on how she comes out of it,” said Pessin. “The plane reservations are still tough, the way they've got it—I know it's the best they can do—but we'll try to make a go of it if she comes out of it well.”

Pessin was referring to the absence of the Tex Sutton Equine Air Transportation aircraft that horsemen have depended on for a number of years. The company's lease expired on the plane expired and it has not been able to acquire a replacement to date. Breeders' Cup officials have arranged for charter flights using Fed Ex.

Bred in Kentucky by Bret Jones, Bell's the One was produced from the Street Cry mare, Street Mate. She was a $150,000 purchase by Bob Lothenbach at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Brereton C. Jones.

Bell's the One has now won 10 of 21 starts and has been a graded stakes winner at ages 3, 4 and 5, with victories in the G2 Raven Run Stakes in 2019, the G3 Winning Colors and G1 Derby City Distaff in 2020, and the G2 Honorable Miss Handicap and Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes in 2021.

“She's one of the best mares, if not the best horse, I've ever had,” said Pessin. “The only thing I regret with her is she never gets the respect she deserves. Even in this race, people weren't even picking her on top, which made absolutely zero sense to me. The Breeders' Cup, they got Ce Ce picked in front of her on the program and I've beat her every time I've run against her. So I don't what this mare has to do to earn respect, but she's definitely got mine.”

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Bell’s The One Outclasses Them in TCA

Bell's the One stamped her ticket to the Breeders' Cup with a gritty score in the TCA at Keeneland Saturday. Heavily favored here, the bay trailed the field through a :21.57 opening quarter. Making an eye-catching move on the backstretch, she launched a five-wide bid turning for home to put herself in contention and fought her way past her foes in mid-stretch, edging clear to score.

“She's one of the best mares, if not the best horse, I've ever had,” trainer Neil Pessin said. “The only thing I regret with her is she never gets the respect she deserves. Even in this race, people weren't even picking her on top, which made absolutely zero sense to me.”

As for the Breeders' Cup, the conditioner said, “It will still depend on how she comes out of it. The plane reservations are still tough, the way they've got it–I know it's the best they can do–but we'll try to make a go of it if she comes out of it well.”

“When I ride her, I just let her gather her feet underneath her and be comfortable wherever she needs to be,” winning pilot Corey Lanerie said. “Today I actually tried to keep her a little closer because I was afraid if they got away from me I wouldn't be able to make up the ground, going six furlongs, and she gives everything she's got every time. I could tell from about the five-sixteenths pole, I'm in contention where, if she gives me her kick, I'm going to catch them. She has the fastest turn of foot [of any horse] I've ever been on.”

Winner of last year's GI Derby City Distaff, Bell's the One was a well-beaten third in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint S. in her next start. Dead-heating for second when making her seasonal bow in this venue's GI Madison S. Apr. 3, she was fourth when attempting to defend her Derby City title May 1 and returned to winning ways in Churchill's Roxelana S. June 19. The 5-year-old followed suit with a narrow score in Saratoga's GII Honorable Miss H. July 28 and was a close second in the Open Mind S. back beneath the Twin Spires last out Sept. 18. Bell's the One was originally scheduled to train up to the Breeders' Cup after that victory, but connections called an audible and sent her to the TCA for one more race in her home state before making the trek to Del Mar.

Pedigree Notes:

Bell's the One's dam Street Mate, a $35,000 KEENOV purchase in 2012, is a half-sister to GSW & GISP Tap Day (Pleasant Tap). Her first foal was SP Running Mate, who was retained by owner/breeder Bret Jones. The 13-year-old mare is also the dam of an unraced juvenile filly named Skipper Sue (Cairo Prince), a $400,000 KEESEP purchase by Rob Masiello,and a weanling filly by Collected. She was bred back to Not This Time.

Saturday, Keeneland
THOROUGHBRED CLUB OF AMERICA S.-GII, $250,000, Keeneland, 10-9, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:08.63, ft.
1–BELL'S THE ONE, 122, m, 5, by Majesticperfection
                1st Dam: Street Mate, by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Day Mate, by Dayjur
                3rd Dam: Possible Mate, by King's Bishop
($155,000 Ylg '17 FTKJUL). O-Lothenbach Stables, Inc. (Bob
Lothenbach); B-Bret Jones (KY); T-Neil L. Pessin; J-Corey J.
Lanerie. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 21-10-4-2, $1,336,825.
 Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
2–Club Car, 120, m, 5, Malibu Moon–Sittin At the Bar, by Into
Mischief. ($120,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Ball, Michael and
Katherine G.; B-Brett A. Brinkman & P. Dale Ladner (KY); T-Ben
Colebrook. $50,000.
3–Estilo Talentoso, 122, f, 4, Maclean's Music–Bazinga Baby, by
Afleet Alex. ($77,000 Ylg '18 FTKOCT; $95,000 RNA 2yo '19
OBSAPR; $15,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-Medallion Racing,
Fowler, Barry, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Little Red Feather
Racing and BlackRidge Stables LLC; B-Mile High Bloodstock LLC
(KY); T-Juan Arriagada. $25,000.
Margins: NK, HD, 1HF. Odds: 1.10, 14.00, 2.70.
Also Ran: Inthemidstofbiz, Frank's Rockette, Miss Mosaic. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Inthemidstofbiz Will Line Up For Title Defense In ‘Win And You’re In’ Thoroughbred Club Of America Stakes

Trainer Cipriano Contreras and Andrew Knapczyk's Inthemidstofbiz will face five other fillies and mares as she goes for a repeat victory in the 41st running of the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) Saturday afternoon at Keeneland.

Run at 6 furlongs on the main track, the Thoroughbred Club of America is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race with the winner earning a fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be held Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

The Thoroughbred Club of America is scheduled as the seventh race on Saturday's 11-race program with a 4:12 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.

Inthemidstofbiz, who has won one of two starts in 2021, comes into Saturday's race off a fourth-place finish in the Satin and Lace (L) at Presque Isle Downs, the same race she used as a prep for her TCA victory last year. Emmanuel Esquivel has the mount and will exit post position three.

Only Excitable Lady in 1982 and 1983 has posted victories in the TCA in consecutive years.

Favoritism figures to be divided among multiple graded stakes winners Bell's the One, Frank's Rockette and Estilo Talentoso. Estilo Talentoso was runner-up in the Madison (G1) here in the spring.

Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One has won two of five starts in 2021 highlighted by a triumph in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga in July. Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell's the One finished second in the Open Mind at Churchill Downs in her most recent start.

Regular rider Corey Lanerie has the call Saturday and will exit post position six.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Frank's Rockette is a three-time graded stakes winner whose lone off-the-board finish in her 16-race career came against the males in last fall's Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.

Trained by Bill Mott, Frank's Rockette enters Saturday's race off a third-place finish in the Seeking the Pearl Stakes at Colonial Downs on Aug. 23. Junior Alvarado has the mount from post position one.

Estilo Talentoso, owned by the partnership of Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Little Red Feather Racing and BlackRidge Stables and trained by Juan Arriagada, also has been off the board only once in her 16-race career. That came in her most recent start against champion Gamine in the Ballerina (G1).

Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for the first time in the Ballerina, has the mount Saturday and will leave post position four.

The field for the Thoroughbred Club of America, with riders and weights from the inside, is:

  1. Frank's Rockette (Alvarado, 120 pounds)
  2. Club Car (Tyler Gaffalione, 120)
  3. Inthemidstofbiz (Esquivel, 120)
  4. Estlio Talentoso (Ortiz, 122)
  5. Miss Mosaic (Colby Hernandez, 120)
  6. Bell's the One (Lanerie, 123).

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