Refreshed Bellafina Preparing for Second Run in Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint

Multiple Grade 1 winner Bellafina, runner-up to Covfefe in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) last year at Santa Anita, might be getting ready to return to the work tab here for the World Championships Nov. 6-7.

“She stayed in Kentucky and went to (Ashford Stud) for two weeks after her last race (a sixth-place finish at Churchill Downs in the Derby City Distaff-G1 on Sept. 5),” said Carlos Santamaria, assistant to trainer Simon Callaghan. “Our horses get a break after tough races and it didn’t make any sense to go back to California.”

Owned by Kaleem Shah, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Bellafina has been at Keeneland with stablemate Lighthouse in trainer Jack Sisterson’s barn with both scheduled to return to California after the Breeders’ Cup. Owned by LNJ Foxwoods’ Lighthouse won the Music City at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 15.

“Bellafina has been galloping and getting used to the track and she may work this weekend,” Santamaria said.

Santamaria said Callaghan plans to have two other runners in addition to Bellafina for the Breeders’ Cup. They are Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor’s Harvest Moon, winner of the Zenyatta (G2), for the Distaff (G1) and the undefeated Madone, owned by Kaleem Shah, for the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

Those runners are scheduled to arrive Breeders’ Cup week.