Rudy Rodriguez

The once-defeated 3-year-old filly Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot) looms a short-priced favorite facing four older females in Sunday's GII Gallant Bloom H. at Belmont Park. A smashing 11 1/4-length winner of a local six-furlong maiden May 6, the $20,000 OBS June graduate yielded late to be second to then-unbeaten Australasia (Sky Kingdom) in the June 6 Jersey Girl S. The dark bay returned to winning ways, scoring by 6 1/2 length in a first-level allowance over this surface July 11 and came from just off a moderate tempo to dust...

Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, and Barry Fowler have purchased a minority interest in the GI Longines Test S. winner Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot). The deal was brokered by bloodstock agent Nick Sallusto. Medallion, Parkland, and Fowler join original owners Michael Imperio, Vincent Scuderi, Sofia Soares, Gabrielle Farm, Mazel Stable Partners, and Matthew Mercurio in campaigning the filly, who is trained by Rudy Rodriguez. "Nick Sallusto and I talked after the filly broke her maiden. I felt she was one to keep an eye on," said Medallion Racing's Mark Taylor. "And...

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's Doctor Jeff (Street Boss), a first-out winner in a six-furlong off-turf maiden special weight at Belmont Park July 10, will step right up to graded company as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Saturday's GII Saratoga Special S. The chestnut colt earned a Special field-high 78 Beyer Speed Figure for his 2 1/4-length debut win and he has recorded three breezes over the main track at Saratoga, including a bullet five-furlong work in :59.61 Sunday, for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. "I'm just very happy with the way...

Jockey Eric Cancel tied a NYRA record with six wins Sunday to propel himself to a first riding title on closing day of Aqueduct's 2020-21 Aqueduct winter meet. The 24-year-old finished the meet with 78 winners--two ahead of Kendrick Carmouche. "I've been trying to take everything in a good way and try to make every step better and better," said Cancel, who was 2015's leading apprentice by earnings and a finalist for that year's Outstanding Apprentice Eclipse Award. "I think right now, I'm on my top game. I know the...