Unique Bella Romps in Santa Maria
Tapit filly, Unique Bella wins the Santa Maria Stakes by nine lengths
For the first handful of strides in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (G2), it appeared as if Don Alberto Stable’s Unique Bella would get a challenge, but the big gray machine did away with that quickly.
Early in the 1 1/16-mile race, grade 2 winner Majestic Heat was at Unique Bella’s neck, but by the time they went into the first turn at Santa Anita Park, the 1-9 favorite put a distance between herself and the overmatched challengers and never looked back.
“We thought we would be on the lead, but (jockey) Mike (Smith) was talking with me this morning, and we thought that if somebody went real hard or something like that, we’d just try to lay off the pace and see if she would relax,” said winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. “But she got out to a lead and was handling the track really well.”
The first quarter-mile went in :23.54, the half-mile went in :46.80, and in the backstretch the 4-year-old Tapit filly was in cruise control.
“She wasn’t even trying,” Smith said. “I was just talking to her—’whoa, whoa, whoa’—and she was just having fun.
Six furlongs went in 1:10.95 and it became clear in the final turn that any fight in the Santa Maria would be for the minors. A three-length lead became eight in the stretch and even geared down to a gallop in the final sixteenth, Unique Bella extended her lead to nine at the wire with a final time of 1:43.45. Last-out La Canada Stakes (G2) winner Mopotism passed Majestic Heat late in the stretch to pick up second.
“I really don’t think we’ve seen how good she can be,” Smith said. “The easy way she’s doing things so easily right now is extremely impressive and I truly believe we haven’t gotten to the bottom of her. There could be more, so I’m excited to see what the future holds for her. “
Hollendorfer said after the race that a likely target next for Unique Bella would be the March 17 Santa Margarita Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita, but also mentioned the April 13 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park.
“We’ll look at the next race here and try to point for that, then who knows what will happen after that,” the Hall of Fame trainer said.
What may happen after that, if Smith has his way, could be a shot against males. While Hollendorfer never put his last super filly, Songbird, in against males, Smith said Unique Bella could be a unique case because of her size and power.
“There’s some different things we can do with her because of her size,” the jockey said. “She might step up with the boys at some point. She’s not just a little one-gutted kind of filly. She’s got a lot to her. She’s built more like a colt. She’s strong and she’s so athletic for as big as she is. When you can get a body like that going in that direction, that quick—and then she uses that stride and it’s a deadly weapon.”
Named the champion sprinter of 2017 after wins going short in the La Brea Stakes (G1), LA Woman Stakes (G3), and Santa Ynez Stakes (G2), Unique Bella’s connections feel that she isn’t a specialist going short or long.
“Most good horses can run both ways,” Hollendorfer said. “Most of the good ones I’ve ever had—colts or fillies—can run short or long. I believe in that.”
Bred in Pennsylvania by Brushwood Stable, out of the grade 1-winning Unbridled’s Song mare Unrivaled Belle, Unique Bella now has seven wins from nine starts and $712,400 in earnings. She was a $400,000 purchase by Don Alberto out of the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2015.
“Jerry said she was going to run a big race, but not this big,” said Don Alberto executive director Febrizio Buffolo.
fonte : Bloodhorse.com
Five things we learned for Cheltenham over the past week
1 Native River adds bite to the Gold Cup
The Dublin Racing Festival a week ago highlighted some of the leading Irish hopes for next month and Newbury’s Super Saturday also produced some compelling evidence.
Another player was added to an intriguing Timico Gold Cup in Native River after his first run since finishing third in the race last year.
After the deflating performances of Cue Card and Thistlecrack on their seasonal returns there will have been more nerves than normal for team Tizzard despite all going smoothly in the run-up.
Native River’s victory and three more at Exeter on Sunday confirms Tizzard is out of a winter slump and will be a force to be reckoned with at the festival.
Native River could not have been more impressive in repeating last year’s Denman Chase albeit against two rivals with runner-up Cloudy Dream confirming a tough three miles is not for him.
2 Altior gives Henderson another Grade 1 ace in strong hand
Irish-trained horses might be favourites for the majority of the 28 festival races but Nicky Henderson has the Grade 1 aces with Altior slotting in alongside Buveur D’Air and Might Bite, who happen to be the same three who kept Henderson four ahead of Willie Mullins as the winningmost trainer at the festival.
Altior justified that short price as he swept aside any lingering doubts about his wellbeing with a majestic performance against race-fit Politologue in the Game Spirit.
Winner of the Arkle last year at 1-4, Altior is odds on with several bookmakers to maintain his two-mile dominance in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase and add his name to some illustrious names, most recently stablemate Sprinter Sacre.
3 Footpad will have to step lively in Racing Post Arkle
Harry Whittington had a top-class performer in the ill-fated Arzal whose last race was a Grade 1 win in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree two years ago.
The fact Whittington rates Saint Calvados, his Grade 2 Kingmaker winner at Warwick on Saturday, his superior after he maintained his unbeaten record in impressive fashion explains why all the double-figure prices have disappeared overnight.
Footpad remains a strong favourite but the clash of two such good jumpers, who are fast and nimble at their fences will raise the blood on the first day.
4 Owner versus trainer before any Vinndication
It is handy most bookmakers go non-runner no-bet on festival races as supporters of Thursday’s Sidney Banks winner Vinndication have a wait before they find out if the unbeaten five-year-old will test his mettle against Ireland’s banker Samcro in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
“Our best novice,” was an eyecatching quote from trainer Kim Bailey, who also has Rossington Main winner First Flow, but in the same breath Bailey indicated Aintree was the preferred destination.
In acknowledging his enthusiastic owners would be all for a Cheltenham showdown there will be some interesting conversations to come.
5 Grounds for thinking the Betbright Cup will be closer this year
Weighing up the Dublin weekend and the last four days in Britain the prospect of Ireland running riot again in the GB v Ireland duel for the Betbright Cup looks less likely.
Amy Murphy added her name to the British team with Betfair Hurdle winner Kalashnikov, who is one of a number of British hopes expected to enjoy the likely traditional spring ground at Cheltenham rather than the testing conditions encountered so far this year.
fonte : RacingPost
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GIAPPONE: RTHE KYOTO KINEN(G2) – REY DE ORO, IL FAVORITO, SOLO TERZO. HA VINTO CLINCHER |
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| February 11, 2018, 2200m, Turf Yielding, Fine, Post time 15:35 |
| INT, Special Weight, 4-Year-Olds & Up, Open Class, Value of race: 119,500,000 Yen |
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | total | |
| Added Money (Yen) | 62,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 16,000,000 | 9,300,000 | 6,200,000 | 118,500,000 |
| Stakes Money (Yen) | 700,000 | 200,000 | 100,000 | 0 | 0 | 1,000,000 |
| Total (Yen) | 62,700,000 | 25,200,000 | 16,100,000 | 9,300,000 | 6,200,000 | 119,500,000 |
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