Bella Ballerina fought down the stretch to take the $289,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in her first start as a 3-year-old Feb. 14. It is deja vu for trainer Brendan Walsh, owner/breeder Godolphin, and jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who won this race three years ago with her half sister, Pretty Mischievous.
In the 1 1/16-mile race, the 3-year-old daughter of Street Sense broke a bit awkwardly, but recovered quickly and went right to the front, setting an opening quarter of :23.40. She continued to lead the field down the backstretch in :46.98 under confident handling from Gaffalione. On the far turn, Michael Stidham trainee Luv Your Neighbor, who had been stalking in second, loomed up on the outside to confront the leader. As the two fillies turned for home, Luv Your Neighbor looked to have had the race wrapped up, edging by Bella Ballerina to lead midstretch. But Bella Ballerina dug in at the rail, fought back late, and prevailed in the Rachel Alexandra by a half-length in a final time of 1:43.38. Luv Your Neighbor finished second, and Kent Sweezey's Just Singing came in third.
"Hats off to her—she fought hard when she could've got beat," Walsh said. "I think she'll improve a lot from her run today. She probably needed today's race. I was still able to get the job done."
Bella Ballerina had not been seen since she won the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs Nov. 29 and had a bit of a break before she returned to training at Fair Grounds with this race as a target.
"She relaxed well for me going into the far turn and had to battle down the stretch to get it done," Gaffalione said. "I thought she was getting a little tired on me but the more I asked of her the more she dug in."
Bella Ballerina is a homebred for Godolphin, out of the Tapit mare Pretty City Dancer. Her half sister, Pretty Mischievous, won the 2023 edition of this race. She then went on to run second in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) before winning the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Last year's Kentucky Oaks winner, Godolphin's Good Cheer, also began her 3-year-old season with a win in this race.
"I don't see any reason why she wouldn't be (as good as Pretty Mischievous)," Walsh said.
Bella Ballerina's connections are hopeful she will be as good as her half sister on the first Friday in May, as the filly earned 50 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks with this win, bringing her total to 60 to top the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard. Points were distributed on a 25-15-10-5 basis to the second- through fifth-place finishers.
Bella Ballerina ($3.60) pushed her perfect record to 3-for-3 with earnings of $481,525.
