Millionaire Bell’s The One Targets Saratoga’s Honorable Miss

Trainer Neil Pessin said Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One, a multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire, will ship to Saratoga for Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

The 5-year-old Majesticperfection bay captured the seven-furlong 2020 Grade 1 Derby City Distaff by a nose over Serengeti Empress, but finished fourth in this year's renewal, a key race that saw the top-four finishers – Gamine [Grade 2 Lady M, Los Alamitos], Sconsin [Grade 3 Winning Colors, Churchill Downs], Estilo Talentoso [Grade 3 Bed o' Roses, Belmont Park] and Bell's the One [Roxelana, Churchill] – win stakes races in their next start.

“She should have been first or second in that race,” Pessin said regarding this year's Derby City Distaff. “She had a bad trip and was too far back in a very slow pace and then came on the inside instead of going outside which she likes better. If she ran the race she should have, she'd have been one-two.”

Bell's the One, who boasts a record of 18-8-3-2, was a close-up fifth in the early stages of the 6 1/2-furlong Roxelana last out before rallying to a three quarter length score in the overnight event on June 19 at Churchill Downs.

Pessin said he asked jockey Corey Lanerie not to lose touch with the field early.

“I told Corey if they go slow she doesn't need to be 10 or 12 [lengths] back. I'm trying to get her a little more that way so we're not so pace dependent,” Pessin said. “In her last race they didn't go fast early but we weren't far off of it. She was stuck in between horses – there were three across the track – and Corey let her suck back a little bit so she could get to the outside. When she turned for home, she just kicked on. She won by three-quarters, but it was a handy three-quarters.”

Pessin said Lanerie will retain the mount in the Honorable Miss, which is expected to include familiar foe, Kimari, who bested Bell's the One in the Grade 1 Madison in April at Keeneland.

“Kimari beat us at Keeneland and it was my mare's first out of the year,” Pessin said. “We also got stuck on the inside and didn't get to bounce outside. If we'd got outside, I think we'd have beat her that day.”

Others under consideration for the Honorable Miss include, Don't Call Me Mary (Todd Pletcher), Lake Avenue (Bill Mott) and Pacific Gale (John Kimmel).

The post Millionaire Bell’s The One Targets Saratoga’s Honorable Miss appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Sconsin, Bell’s The One Among Salty Cast For Saturday’s Roxelana Stakes

Lloyd Madison Farm's multiple graded stakes winning filly Sconsin headlines a field of six fillies and mares that were entered in Saturday's $110,000 Roxelana Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The 6 ½-furlong Roxelana will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 12:45 p.m.

Sconsin, a 4-year-old homebred daughter of Include, won the $150,000 Winning Colors (Grade 3) four weeks ago beneath the Twin Spires. The Greg Foley-trainee finished second behind Gamine in the $500,000 Derby City Distaff (G1) on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby. Overall, Sconsin sports a stout record of 12-4-3-1 with purse earnings of $546,512.

Current Churchill Downs leading rider Tyler Gaffalione has the return mount and will break from post No. 5.

Also entered in the Roxelana is Lothenbach Stables 2020 Derby City Distaff (G1) winner Bell's the One. Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell's the One is searching for her first victory in her 5-year-old campaign. She finished second behind Kimari in the $300,000 Madison (G1) in early April and fourth in this year's Derby City Distaff.

Corey Lanerie has the mount from post 4.

Another accomplished mare that was entered in the Roxelana is Whitham Thoroughbreds' multiple Grade 3 winner Four Graces. Trained by Ian Wilkes, Four Graces recorded four victories through seven starts as a 3-year-old. The now 4-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection will make her seasonal debut from post 3 with Julien Leparoux in the saddle. Four Graces defeated Sconsin by 4 ¾ lengths in last year's $100,000 Beaumont (G3) at Keeneland.

The complete field for the Roxelana from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Shesomajestic (Joe Talamo, Michelle Nihei)
  2. Miss Mosaic (Colby Hernandez, Ben Colebrook)
  3. Four Graces (Leparoux, Wilkes)
  4. Bell's the One (Lanerie, Pessin)
  5. Sconsin (Gaffalione, Foley)
  6. Jungle Juice (IRE) (Adam Beschizza, Anna Meah)

Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Fans can catch the Roxelana, along with the entire 11-race program, on “America's Day at the Races.” The action is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 2.

Tickets are available for Saturday at Churchill Downs on www.churchilldowns.com/tickets. Admission gates are scheduled to open at 11:30 a.m. and “Churchill Downs Today” will air at 11:45 a.m. throughout the facility and on www.TwinSpires.com.

The post Sconsin, Bell’s The One Among Salty Cast For Saturday’s Roxelana Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights