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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Rockefeller Rockets To Graded Stakes Victory In Nashua

In his third career start, Rockefeller improved on his last-out fourth-place finish behind Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Corniche in the American Pharoah Stakes and won the G3 Nashua Stakes on the closing day card at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The son of Medaglia d'Oro withstood early pressure from Speaking and pulled away in the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths.

Breaking from post one, Rockefeller and Luis Saez went straight to the lead, with Speaking pressing to his outside, a half-length off the lead. Around the far turn, Rockefeller extended his lead to a length, as Speaking began to tire and the field attempted to catch up with the leader.

In the stretch, Cooke Creek and Judge Davis put in their closing bids, but the Baffert-trained Rockefeller easily pulled away from the field, stretching his lead out in the race's final furlong. The final time for the one-mile G3 Nashua Stakes was 1:36.66. Cooke Creek and Judge Davis were second and third. Midnight Worker, Cairama, and Speaking rounded out the field.

Find this race's chart here.

Rockefeller paid $3.60, $3.30, and $2.40. Cooke Creek paid $5.50 and $3.60. Judge Davis paid $2.70.

Bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables, Rockefeller is out of the Speightstown mare Dance to Bristol, a multiple graded stakes winner. He is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, and Robert E. Masterson. The 2-year-old colt was consigned by Mill Ridge Sales and sold to SF/Starlight/Madaket for $750,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With his win in the Nashua, Rockefeller has two wins in three starts for career earnings of $142,500.

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Stalwart Pink Lloyd Gets Another Stakes Win In Ontario Jockey Club

Out of a mare named Gladiator Queen, perhaps Pink Lloyd should be known as the Gladiator King. The 9-year-old gelding, a fixture on the Woodbine Tapeta, outlasted a persistent Souper Hot in the stretch to take the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes by a neck at the Toronto, Ontario track.

From post two, Pink Lloyd took up position on the rail, a half-length off of Souper Hot inside the first furlong of the six-furlong stakes. Around the race's lone turn, Pink Lloyd pulled even with Souper Hot, poised to take over as frontrunner entering the stretch.

At the top of the straightaway, Rafael Hernandez gave Pink Lloyd the cue and eked out a short lead, but Souper Hot persisted, never allowing the favorite to get more than a half-length in the lead before fighting back. At the wire, Pink Lloyd had a neck on Souper Hot, with Told It All third.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.52.

Pink Lloyd paid $3.10 and $2.10. Souper Hot paid $4.20. There was no show wagering.

Bred in Ontario by John Carey, Pink Lloyd is by Old Forester. Consigned by his breeder, the 9-year-old gelding was sold to Frank De Juilio, Jr., agent, for $28,446 at the 2013 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Canadian-Bred Yearling Sale. He is owned by Entourage Stable and trained by Robert Tiller. With his win in the Ontario Jockey Club, Pink Lloyd has two wins in four starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 28 wins in 37 starts.

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Orglandes Catches Beautiful Lover, Candy Flower Late To Take Zagora

Candy Flower held the lead from the race's opening strides, but did not have enough left to hold off a late-stretch bid from favorite Orglandes (FR) in the Zagora Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Mike Maker trainee Candy Flower was on the lead first time under the wire in the 1 1/2-mile Zagora, with Always Shopping and Orglandes taking up second and third. Maintaining a three-length advantage throughout, Candy Flower set a steady pace, logging fractions of :24.92 for the first quarter, :49.63 for the half-mile, and 1:15.10 for six furlongs. She looked poised to take the field gate to wire into the far turn, where her lead shrunk to a length as the field entered the stretch.

Irad Ortiz Jr. took Orglandes to the outside on the far turn, as Beautiful Lover pulled even with Candy Flower in the Belmont straightaway. Candy Flower battled back, even with Beautiful Lover, but Ortiz Jr. had Orglandes set down for a drive. She caught the two frontrunners in the race's final strides, getting up to win by a neck. Beautiful Lover was second, while Candy Flower held on for third. Hungry Kitten, Lovely Lucky, Always Shopping, and Go Big Blue Nation rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2.29.28. Find this race's chart here.

Orglandes paid $3.50, $2.90, and $2.40. Beautiful Lover paid $5.00 and $3.40. Candy Flower paid $6.70.

Bred in France by SA Franklin Finance and Elisabeth Vidal, Orglandes is by Le Havre (IRE) out of the Dansili (GB) mare Influence (FR). Trained by Chad Brown, she is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael J. Caruso. Orglandes was consigned by Coulonces Sales and sold to Sylvain Vidal for $88,245 at the 2017 Arqana Deauville October Yearlings Sale. Her win in the Zagora is the 5-year-old mare's first victory of 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 14 starts and career earnings of $307,022.

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