Considering that her dam came just 3/4 of a length away from pulling off a 48-1 upset in the 2008 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf over this same course, it should have come as no surprise that Belle Hill could continue her win streak despite the surface switch.
A second-out winner sprinting on the Golden Gate Tapeta in May, the dark bay was fourth in her stakes debut at Emerald Downs at the end of that month, but has done nothing but win routing since then. Four lengths clear in the Irish Day H. back in Washington June 28, she added the Kent H. July 18 and was most recently seen besting Suva Harbor (Rockport Harbor) by five lengths in the Washington Oaks Aug. 8.
Settled in about fourth spot as Dreamologist (Tapit–Dreaming of Anna) cut out a fast early pace, Belle Hill crept closer with a three-wide run on the turn. Deep into the stretch, she collared the front-runner nearing the final eighth of a mile and held on late for a narrow success.
“It's always good to win,” said veteran pilot Leslie Mawing.
I've been up north at Golden Gate and I've been watching the races down here all week. It seemed like speed was holding, so I didn't want to be too far out of it. I wanted to keep my horse comfortable but not be pushing on her. This is her first time on the turf, but her mom is a turf champion up in Canada, so that helped having it in her pedigree. She took to the turf good.”
He added, “We had a little bobble running into the first turn, but she found her footing really fast and was back into stride again. I was very happy with her performance [Saturday] and it feels good to get my first stakes winner here at Santa Anita.”
Conditioner Larry Ross offered, “She got a great trip and a perfect ride. It looked like a good spot for her [to try turf] and her family's done well on it, so we decided to go with it. I didn't give Leslie any instructions: just confidence.”
Ross, who also conditions 2014 and 2015 GIII Longacres Mile H. hero Stryker Phd (Bertrando), continued, “This gives us more options with her–winning on grass–but right now we're still going to let her have dinner, kind of sleep on it and go from there. We'll take her back to Golden Gate and see how it goes. She was training so well, I was pretty confident, but you never know until you try.”
Sealy Hill sold for $590,000 to Nat Rea's Regis Farms carrying a Distorted Humor filly at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton February sale, and will be offered as part of the Regis dispersal at the upcoming Keeneland November sale. Responsible for a Giant's Causeway filly in 2014 and a daughter of Tiznow earlier this season, Sealy Hill will be offered in foal to Medaglia d'Oro.
Saturday, Santa Anita Park
AUTUMN MISS S.-GIII, $101,250, SA, 10-17, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.10, gd.
1–@BELLE HILL, 117, f, 3, by Sky Mesa
1st Dam: Sealy Hill (Horse of the Year, Ch. 3yo Filly, Ch. Grass Mare, Filly Triple Crown Winner-Can, $1,747,081 by Point Given
2nd Dam: Boston Twist, by Boston Harbor
3rd Dam: Chou Chou, by Premiership
($250,000 2yo '14 FTKHRA). O-Aithon Stable LLC; B-Eugene
Melnyk (KY); T-Larry D. Ross; J-Leslie Mawing. $60,000.
Lifetime Record: 7-5-0-1, $173,220. *1/2 to Hillaby (Distorted
Humor), Ch. Female Sprinter-Can, GSW, $282,265.Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”equix-optimatch”]
2–Paulina's Love, 117, f, 3, Mizzen Mast–Electric Cove, by
Spinning World. ($100,000 2yo '14 OBSAPR). O-KM Racing
Enterprise, Inc.; B-Jason Hall (LA); T-Richard Baltas. $20,000.
3–Singing Kitty, 117, f, 3, Ministers Wild Cat–Natural Singer R
N, by Unbridled's Song. O-Chris Aulds & Peter Jeong; B-Tommy
Town Thoroughbreds, LLC (CA); T-Matthew Chew. $12,000.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 9.60, 5.00, 2.40.
Also Ran: Majestic Heat, Miss Boom Boom, All Star Bub, Hundi (Ire), Princess Charm (Ire), Dreamologist, Suva Harbor.
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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