Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Unique Bella needs her best
DEL MAR, Calif. – Some Breeders’ Cup fans are expecting a freak show when the sixth race rolls around Saturday at Del Mar. Others will shade to the skeptical side when attempting to somehow beat Unique Bella, whose freakish exploits will make her a heavy favorite in the Grade 1, $1 million BC Filly and Mare Sprint.
Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains Unique Bella for the Don Alberto Stable, is aware of the major respect being afforded his latest stable star, but “we’re not taking anything for granted,” he said. “Those are some mighty fine fillies we’ll be facing. That said, we think we’ve got a top filly ourselves and think we have a good chance to win.”
Unique Bella was on her way to being the favorite for the Kentucky Oaks when Hollendorfer was forced to stop on her in late March because of a shin injury. Fully healed and shrewdly managed, Unique Bella returned as a sprint specialist – if only temporarily – with an easy comeback score last month at Santa Anita in the L.A. Woman Stakes. It was an ideal prep for the Filly and Mare Sprint, which could prove a launching point to even greater stardom for a 3-year-old filly with the potential to race at longer distances.
But that’s getting way ahead. To outrun her 13 opponents in the seven-furlong Filly and Mare Sprint, Unique Bella likely will have to bring her ‘A’ game when she breaks from post 11 under Mike Smith, the winningest jockey in Breeders’ Cup history.
“I’m very excited about her running,” said Smith. “We know her ability and what she’s capable of. We’re not even sure we’ve seen the best of her yet. Hopefully she’ll handle the track well and run her race.”
The Del Mar morning line has Unique Bella pegged at 9-5, but many experts are predicting she will be closer to even-money at post time (1:14 p.m. Pacific) as she attempts to become the first 3-year-old winner in 11 runnings of the Filly and Mare Sprint.
Among the more capable opposition is Finley’ s lucky charm (post 9, Brian Hernandez Jr.), a winner in 9 of 12 starts and a last-out winner of the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland; Skye Diamonds (post 12, T.J. Pereira), a California-bred filly with six wins from eight starts since being claimed by Jeff Bloom and partners in August 2016; By the Moon (post 7, Rajiv Maragh), Highway Star (post 10, Angel Arroyo ), and Paul as silver lining (post 2, Jose Ortiz), the respective 1-2-3 finishers in the most important race in this division so far, the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga; and Finest City (post 4, Corey Nakatani), winner of the Filly and Mare Sprint last year at Santa Anita.
Finley’ s lucky charm has been the top filly-mare sprinter in the Midwest for the last year or so, and trainer Bret Calhoun hopes the new dimension she showed in the TCA will prove an asset as this race unfolds. Normally a front-runner, she rallied from midpack to prevail in convincing fashion.
“I like being toward the outside where Brian can figure out where we need to be,” said Calhoun. “The filly’s doing just super. Obviously, Unique Bella will be tough, but we’re hoping to make her run.”
By the Moon, trained by Michelle Nevin, is something of a rarity in that she won Grade 1 races nearly three years apart – at 2 and now this year at 5 – and has shown no signs of slowing down in preparing for what is most likely the final start of her career. Like last year, Nevin chose to train By the Moon straight into the Filly and Mare Sprint off a 10-week layoff.
“She’s been an amazing horse to be around,” said Nevin.
Finest City will seek to become the only other repeat winner of this race, following Groupie Doll (2012-13). She has been entered off a layoff of nearly four months.
“She’d been running hard for three years now and just needed a little break,” said Ian Kruljac, who trains Finest City for local residents Wayne and Tyler Seltzer. “We maybe could’ve run her in the meantime, but either the timing or the type of race wasn’t just right. I do like the way she’s come around the last few weeks.”
The balance of an outstanding Filly and Mare Sprint lineup is Carina Mia (post 1, Javier Castellano); Curlin’s Approval (post 3, Luis Saez); Bar of Gold (post 5, Irad Ortiz Jr.); Proper Discretion (post 6, Kent Desormeaux); Constellation (post 8, Flavien Prat); Princess Karen (post 13, Julien Leparoux); and Ami’s Mesa (post 14, Luis Contreras).