Bellera, who had an adventurous first try in graded company when loosing her rider at the start of the GIII Turnback the Alarm H. last time out, made amends with a 1 3/4-length victory in the GIII Comely S. at Aqueduct Friday. Away without incident this time, the bay filly pressed the pace three wide into the first turn and shadowed Gold Standard down the backstretch through a half in :49.69. She moved to challenge the pacesetter into the homestretch, took charge with a furlong to run and drew away to the wire. Favored Arrifana, mired in traffic turning for home, closed late to get up for second.
“She won the last race, she just didn't have a rider on her back,” trainer Todd Pletcher said jokingly. When something like that happens, you're always concerned if they come back safely, but she came back great and trained great. I felt that the mile and an eighth suited her well and she came back great today.
Bellera graduated over 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth Park July 6 and added a front-running tally in a nine-furlong optional claimer at Saratoga Aug. 21. She was second, beaten just a neck by Grandaria, in a Keeneland optional claimer Oct. 6. Squeezed at the start of the Turnback the Alarm, Bellera lost jockey Jose Lezcano and ran loose throughout the nine-furlong race.
Pedigree Notes:
Amy Tarrant's Hardacre Farm purchased Habiboo, a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Street Boss (Street Cry {Ire}), for $210,000 at the 2002 Keeneland September sale. The bay went on to finish third in the 2004 GII Monmouth Oaks and GIII Chaposa Springs H. and was second in the following year's GII First Flight H. in Tarrant's colors. Her first foal, Quippery (Forest Wildcat), is the dam of graded winner Beyond Blame (Blame). She is also the dam of graded stakes winner Life Imitates Art (More Than Ready).
The mare's Candy Ride (Arg) filly was purchased by pinhooker Ciaran Dunne for $75,000 at this year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Bellera, the 45th graded winner for her sire, is bred on the same cross as Group 1 winner Capezzano and other graded winners Hemsworth and Shagaf.
Friday, Aqueduct
COMELY S.-GIII, $200,000, Aqueduct, 11-29, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:52.91, ft.
1–BELLERA, 118, f, 3, by Bernardini
1st Dam: Habiboo (MGSP, $190,190), by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Blushing Ogygian, by Ogygian
3rd Dam: Fruhlingshochzeit, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($90,000 Ylg
'17 KEESEP). O-Mathis Stable LLC; B-Hardacre Farm (FL);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-3-2-0, $209,960. *1/2 to Life Imitates Art (More
Than Ready). GSW, $203,720. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Arrifana, 120, f, 3, Curlin–Vaulcluse, by A.P. Indy.
'TDN Rising Star' O-Gunpowder Farms LLC, Millennium Farms,
Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck) and LNJ Foxwoods;
B-Gunpowder Farms LLC (KY); T-Kelly Rubley. $40,000.
3–Gold Standard, 120, f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Mi Vida, by
Distorted Humor. ($200,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP; $1,200,000 2yo
'18 FTFMAR). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC and LNJ Foxwoods;
B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $24,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, 9 1/4. Odds: 4.90, 1.75, 1.95.
Also Ran: Afleet Destiny, Classic Fit, Oxy Lady, Lightscameraaction, Stand for the Flag. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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