Tag: Kaleem Shah

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.

The post Bella Vita Makes Short Work Of Cal-Bred Rivals In Spring Fever appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Bellafina and Donna Veloce Retired

MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road–Akron Moon, by Malibu Moon) was pre-entered for the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint Monday, but was scratched Tuesday and is now retired after developing a minor issue in her Oct. 24 breeze at Keeneland (five furlongs in 1:00.60), according to owner Kaleem Shah.

Shah noted that ‘TDN Rising Star’ Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo–Coin Broker {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) has been retired as well. Both mares will join Shah’s broodmare band with Bellafina set to visit Uncle Mo and Donna Veloce booked to Justify. The news was first reported by the Daily Racing Form.

“Bellafina had a small issue after the work and since it is so close to the Breeders’ Cup, we thought it was best to have her go an be a momma,” Shah said when reached by phone Wednesday. “She has been super good to us all of these years, winning multiple Grade Is as a 2-year-old and winning the [GI] Santa Anita Oaks. She has had a wonderful career, but we always air on the side of caution and never take any chances with any of our horses. She will be bred to Uncle Mo next year.”

Bred by JSM Equine, Bellafina was purchased by Shah for $800,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-Year-Old Sale and turned over to trainer Simon Callaghan. Earning her diploma at second asking in the 2018 GII Sorrento S., the bay won both the GI Del Mar Debutante S. and GI Chandelier S. that season. She kicked off 2019 with a trio of victories in the GII Santa Ynez S., GII Las Virgenes S. and GI Santa Anita Oaks. Flying late to be a close second to dual champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) in last year’s Breeders’ Cup, Bellafina was also second in the GI La Brea S. The 4-year-old won the GIII Desert Stormer S. in May was second in both the GII Great Lady M. S. July 4 and GI Ballerina S. Aug. 8. She retires with a record of 18-7-5-1 and earnings of $1,617,975.

A $450,000 KEESEP yearling buy, Donna Veloce was also bought for $800,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale and joined Bellafina in Callaghan’s shedrow. Earning the ‘Rising Star’ nod off a dazzling debut win at Santa Anita last September, she was a neck second to champion British Idiom (Flashback) as the favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, after which she was bought into by the Coolmore contingent. Second to Bast (Uncle Mo) in the GI Starlet S. in December, the bay captured the GII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 8 and given a brief freshening, but made the GI Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4, where she finished eighth.

“Donna Veloce has also been retired,” Shah said. “After the Oaks, she came up with a small injury. We had given her plenty of time off after her race in March to recover from that and she seemed a little ouchy again [after the Oaks]. We thought it was best for her to become a momma and she is going to be bred to Justify next year.”

The post Bellafina and Donna Veloce Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

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 post Grade 1 Winner Bellafina Out Of Breeders’ Cup, To Be Bred To Uncle Mo In 2021 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Surfer Girl Stakes Win Puts Madone On Track For Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Next to last, about five lengths off the lead with a half mile to run, Flavien Prat stepped on the gas heading into the far turn aboard heavily favored Madone, who  kicked into gear and despite being fanned six wide turning for home, battled gamely to hold off the late charge of Irish-bred Tetragonal to win Sunday's $100,000 Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., by a neck.  Owned by Kaleem Shah and trained by Simon Callaghan, Madone got one mile turf in 1:34.93 and extended her unbeaten streak to three.

“They went fast, which we thought could happen, so Flavien just let her settle back early and let her get comfortable,” said Callaghan.  “He made a big move with her and thankfully she had enough to hold off (Tetragonal)…She is professional, she has really grown up a lot.  She took a little bit of time to come around, but she's really developing into a real professional.  The Breeders' Cup (Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 6 at Keeneland) is the plan now.”

A first out one mile maiden turf winner July 31, Madone's most recent score came in the one mile Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on Sept. 6.  Off at even money in a field of nine 2-year-old fillies today, she paid $4.20, $2.80 and $2.40.

“I liked where we were after the first quarter, it seemed like they were going fast enough up front,” said Autumn Meet leading rider Prat, who made the lead a furlong out and notched his third win of the day.  “The fractions don't say it, but down the backside, it seemed like they slowed it down a little, so I moved and I think I moved a little too soon.  When she makes the lead, she pulls herself up a little.  In all of her races, she doesn't win by much, but she's got a lot of talent.”

A $125,000 Ocala Breeders March 2-year-old in Training Sale purchase, Madone, which means beautiful woman in Italian, picked up $60,000 for her efforts.  By the Medaglia d'Oro stallion Vancouver, she's out of the Cherokee Run mare Indian Love Call.  A perfect three for three, she has earnings of $141,300.

Trained by Richard Baltas, Tetragonal saved ground while last early, wheeled four-deep turning for home and just missed in a thriller.  Off at 25-1 with Juan Hernandez, she finished 3 ½ lengths in front of Pizzazz and paid $11.20 and $6.40.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Pizzazz stalked the pace while fourth early and just held off Closing Remarks by a nose for third money.  Off at 8-1, Pizzazz paid $4.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.30, 45.91, 1:10.61 and 1:23.06.

The post Surfer Girl Stakes Win Puts Madone On Track For Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights