Bellafina

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-GP, $84K, Msw, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:38 p.m. Though making a belated debut as a 4-year-old, LAKOTA TERRITORY (Quality Road), bred in a partnership by Whisper Hill Farm, Three Chimneys, and JSM Equine, gets his chance to add to his family's legacy Friday out of the Todd Pletcher barn. Out of the Malibu Moon mare Akron Moon, the bay is a full-brother to MGISW Bellafina who brought a final bid of $4,000,000 from Coolmore's M V Magnier in foal to Tiz the Law at last fall's...

MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road)'s first foal by Uncle Mo went for $1.35 million earlier in the session at Fasig-Tipton November and, as expected, the $1.6-million earner was plenty popular herself in the ring, ultimately garnering a winning bid of $4 million from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. The 6-year-old was offered in foal to young MGISW Tiz the Law and consigned to the sale by Eaton Sales as hip 264. The Coolmore partners had co-campaigned Bellafina with original owner Kaleem Shah towards the end of her career. She was an $800,000 FTFMAR...

A weanling daughter of Uncle Mo out of MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road) was the first to break the seven-figure threshold--which will no doubt be eclipsed many times once the mare portion starts--at Fasig-Tipton November Sunday, fetching $1.35 million on a winning bid from Gabriel Duignan, who signed as Paramount Bloodstock. Consigned by Eaton Sales as hip 128, the Feb. 11 foal was bred by the Coolmore-connected entities of Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt and Kaleem Shah. Shah acquired Bellafina for $800,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Florida sale, and saw her take...

Separated by just one year in age, Bellafina (Quality Road -Akron Moon, by Malibu Moon) and Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo - Coin Broker {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) were both $800,000 2-year-old purchases for owner-breeder Kaleem Shah. Both were brilliant juveniles on the racetrack, with one becoming a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut and the other winning a pair of Grade I contests at two, and they each went on to achieve further graded stakes success throughout their careers. Retired from racing after their 2020 campaigns, they now both have one...

MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road--Akron Moon, by Malibu Moon) was pre-entered for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint Monday, but was scratched Tuesday and is now retired after developing a minor issue in her Oct. 24 breeze at Keeneland (five furlongs in 1:00.60), according to owner Kaleem Shah. Shah noted that 'TDN Rising Star' Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo--Coin Broker {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) has been retired as well. Both mares will join Shah's broodmare band with Bellafina set to visit Uncle Mo and Donna Veloce booked to Justify. The news was...

The worktab at Churchill Downs Saturday morning was replete with many of racing's biggest names scheduled to make an upcoming start during next month's Breeders' Cup, including champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), GI Preakness S. heroine Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Grade I-winner Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike). Targeting the Distaff, the 2018 3-year-old champion filly completed six furlongs in 1:12. Working in tandem with GSW and GISP Owendale (Into Mischief, 6f 1:13), the 5-year-old carved out eighth-mile splits of :12, :24.40, :36.20, :47.80 and 1:00, galloping out in front of her stablemate...

Serengeti Empress (Alternation) sparkled in a front-running display in the Aug. 8 GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga and will try to make it two straight with a win in Saturday's GI Derby City Distaff S. at Churchill Downs. While the Ballerina's opening fractions of :21.75 and :43.74 would have been enough to incinerate most rivals, they merely served as a stepping stone to victory for the speedy filly as the 2019 Kentucky Oaks heroine finished one length clear of the hard-trying yet second-best Bellafina (Quality Road), who returns to re-oppose...

A well-matched field of seven fillies and mares coming from different directions in Saturday's GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga, the first of three top-level events on the GI Runhappy Travers day card at the spectator-less Spa and a "Win and You're In" event for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint. Made the lukewarm favorite on the morning line is Kaleem Shah's Bellafina (Quality Road). A three-time Grade I winner in her first eight career starts, the $800,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy was a dull fifth as the favorite in the GI...

Three-time GISW Bellafina (Quality Road) will look to snap a six-race losing streak in Sunday's GIII Desert Stormer S. at Santa Anita. The $800,000 FTFMAR breezer, winless since posting a dominating score in last term's GI Santa Anita Oaks, sports a record of 6-4-2-0 at the Great Race Place, including a very strong second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 2. After closing out her 3-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish as the 3-5 chalk in the GI La Brea S. Dec. 28, nothing went right...

Top-level scorers Bellafina (Quality Road) and Mia Mischief (Into Mischief) will break from opposite ends of the gate Saturday at Oaklawn as the headliners of the Carousel S. A force to be reckoned with on the Santa Anita road to the GI Kentucky Oaks last spring, the bay has been winless since the GI Santa Anita Oaks in April, but finished off last term with a pair of strong seconds. Closing strongly to finish within 3/4 of a length of dual champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup...

Bellafina (Quality Road), tuning up for the Apr. 25 Carousel S. at Oaklawn Park, worked four furlongs in :47.80 (20/105) under Joe Talamo at the Hot Springs oval Saturday morning. Clockers caught the 4-year-old filly with a final quarter-mile of :23.60 and galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.20. "Unbelievable," Talamo said after getting on Bellafina for the first time. "Absolutely skipped over the track this morning." Bellafina, who shipped in from trainer Simon Callaghan's Southern California base Tuesday, was having her first work over the Oaklawn track Saturday. The three-time...

A total of 182 2-year-olds make up the catalogue for the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale of Selected 2-Year-Olds in Training slated for Wednesday, Apr. 1. Held in Gulfstream Park's walking ring, the sale will begin at 1 p.m. EDT. The under tack show is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, Mar. 30. "The Gulfstream Sale annually offers the highest concentration of quality of any North American 2-year-old sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning.  "This year's catalogue is no exception, as it is again loaded with sire power, depth of pedigree, and quality...