Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Callaghan on familiar BC path
ARCADIA, Calif. – For the second consecutive year, trainer Simon Callaghan is bound for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with the expected favorite.
Last year, Moonshine Memories won consecutive Grade 1 races in the Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs and the Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita, but was seventh in the BC Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.
Bellafina won the same two races in September. Her victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Chandelier Stakes by 6 1/2 lengths has left Callaghan confident the filly can accomplish a fourth consecutive win in the BC Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2.
“The timing is good,” Callaghan said on Sunday. “The filly is getting better. Physically, we’ve seen a bit of change. I do believe she’s a very good filly.”
Callaghan says Bellafina is better suited to the distance of 1 1/16 miles than Moonshine Memories, even though Moonshine Memories did win at the distance. This year, Moonshine Memories has raced primarily in sprints.
“I believe the distance would be no problem,” Callaghan said. “Moonshine won the prep race [in the Chandelier], but the distance was too much for her.”
Bellafina earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 89 in the Chandelier
Bellafina easily beat Vibrance, who had her stakes debut in the Chandelier and is also a candidate for the BC Juvenile Fillies, trainer Michael McCarthy said Sunday. Vibrance beat maidens at Del Mar in a one-mile race in late August. In the Chandelier, she set a quick pace – including an opening quarter-mile in 22.88 seconds – and was a clear second.
“When I saw the fractions, I thought, This isn’t going to end well,” McCarthy said. “She kept fighting and kept digging in.”
McCarthy may have three runners for the Breeders’ Cup races. Paved, second on Saturday to Vasilika in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, is possible for the BC Filly and Mare Turf.
City of Light, who won the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in April, is a candidate for the BC Dirt Mile or BC Classic, both on Nov. 3. On Sunday, City of Light worked five furlongs in 1:00 at Santa Anita. McCarthy said City of Light galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.40.
“He worked unbelievably,” McCarthy said. “I thought he was in hand and the final quarter was good.”
Earlier on Saturday, Game Winner looked as impressive as Bellafina in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. He won by 4 1/2 lengths and earned a Beyer Figure of 97, and may be favored in the BC Juvenile on Nov. 2.
Trained by Bob Baffert for Gary and Mary West, Game Winner is unbeaten in three starts. At Del Mar, Game Winner won a maiden special weight race on Aug. 18 and the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 3. The American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles was his first start around two turns.
“He is a very good horse,” Baffert said Sunday.
Fashion Business to miss BC
Fashion Business will miss the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3 after being diagnosed with an injury over the weekend that will keep him out of training until early 2019, trainer Phil D’Amato said.
D’Amato declined to reveal the injury, but described the setback as a “minor issue.”
“We’ll focus on having him in full form at the beginning of the year,” D’Amato said. “His chances of coming back are very good.”
Fashion Business won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 18, earning a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf, and was withdrawn from Sunday’s Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita after the injury was detected Saturday. Fashion Business was the morning-line favorite for the John Henry.
Owned by the Little Red Feather partnership and Marsha Naify, Fashion Business has won 3 of 12 starts and earned $283,885. The Del Mar Handicap was the first stakes win for Fashion Business. ◗ Catalina Cruiser, the unbeaten winner of two graded stakes at Del Mar, worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds on Sunday at Santa Anita. Trained by John Sadler, Catalina Cruiser’s next start will be the BC Dirt Mile.
“He floated around there,” Sadler said. “He’s training at a beautiful level.”