Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Bell’s the One, Pessin flying under radar to F-M Sprint
LEXINGTON, Ky. – What’s in a name? Neil Pessin knows, at least as it pertains to himself.
“This filly deserves more respect than what she gets,” Pessin said of his stable star Bell’s the One, “and if she was trained by somebody else, she’d probably get it.”
Perhaps in the hands of a trainer with a higher national profile Bell’s the One might indeed be more well known outside the tight circles in which Pessin travels. Bell’s the One, a 4-year-old filly owned by Bob Lothenbach, is a fivetime stakes winner who has won seven of 14 career starts and nearly $800,000 – and yet she has not been the favorite so much as once. Her top three win mutuels: $67.80, $28.60, $28.20.
Bell’s the One, by Majesticperfection, won’t be favored in her next race, either. She’s the 5-1 third choice on the latest
Daily Racing Form projections for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland, a seven-furlong race in which Gamine and Serengeti Empress are rated ahead of her. Preparations are going well toward the Nov. 7 race, as Bell’s the One went in a spirited 1:00.60 in a five-furlong in-company drill early Thursday at Churchill Downs with regular rider Corey Lanerie aboard. It was the bay filly’s fourth breeze since she nipped Serengeti Empress in a torrid battle in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff on the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby card.
“She broke about five or six lengths behind her workmate and finished up on even terms at the wire,” said Pessin. “Corey just let her do her thing and said he could have blown by at any time.”
Pessin, 61, is a remarkably upbeat sort, the kind of fellow who makes you wonder how or why he can be smiling so broadly at 6:15 in the morning – pretty much every morning. In 35 years of training, Pessin has won just 214 races, and his only prior graded stakes wins came in 1993 and 2006. Those are the kinds of statistics the big-time trainers post in less than a single year.
Still, Pessin wouldn’t trade places with anyone, having endeared himself to a multitude of friends and colleagues on his circuit of New Orleans, Chicago, and Kentucky. His days in the spotlight have been few and far between, but he couldn’t care less. He’s got his first Breeders’ Cup starter upcoming, and it’s all plenty enough for him.
“I’m looking at it as just another race,” he said, “although it would be nice to win, especially more for the filly than myself. People keep selling her short, and I’d love to see her get the justification she deserves.”
Art Collector back working
Art Collector had his first work since the Oct. 3 Preakness, going a half-mile in 49.20 seconds Thursday over a fast track at the Skylight training center, the home base of trainer Tommy Drury. Brian Hernandez Jr., the regular rider for Art Collector, was aboard.
“They say the track’s been pretty heavy, but he still got his last eighth in 11 and 2,” said Hernandez. “He’s as good as ever, from what I can tell.”
Art Collector won his first four starts this year by open lengths prior to finishing fourth in the Preakness as the 2-1 second choice. Drury and owner-breeder Bruce Lunsford have said they are leaning toward running the colt next in the Nov. 7 BC Dirt Mile, with the BC Classic or Nov. 27 Clark at Churchill as alternatives.
Spa City wins off shelf
Spa City returned to action in style Thursday at Keeneland when the 3-year-old Godolphin homebred won a first-level allowance going 1 3/16 miles in his first start for trainer Brad Cox. The Street Sense colt got an 85 Beyer Speed Figure, prevailing by a neck in his first race in more than seven months.
“It was good to see him back, especially getting that distance of ground,” said Jimmy Bell, Godolphin USA president.
Bell added that Maxfield, the unbeaten Godolphin 3-yearold who was injured in June, continues to make steady progress in the care of trainer Brendan Walsh.
“He’s been galloping, stretching his legs,” said Bell. “We’re happy with how he’s coming along.”
Churchill starts with juveniles
Churchill Downs will open its fall meet next Sunday with the traditional Stars of Tomorrow card of all 2-year-old races. The co-features are the Street Sense and Rags to Riches, both 1 1/16-mile races with a purses of $98,000 (including bonuses restricted to registered Kentucky-breds).
Churchill will run a five-day week, Wednesdays through Sundays, except for the twoday Breeders’ Cup (Nov. 6-7) at Keeneland. Churchill will even run the day before (Nov. 5) and day after (Nov. 8) the Breeders’ Cup. The meet runs through Nov. 29.
Churchill intends to host a limited number of spectators for racedays. Fans have been banned at all Kentucky tracks since the pandemic began in March, except for limited numbers during the summer meet at Ellis Park.
The longest-priced winner through the first 10 programs of the 17-day Keeneland meet came in the sixth race Thursday when Elle Z led throughout a $73,000 second-level allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs over the turf, returning $96.80. The 3-year-old City Zip filly was ridden by Mitchell Murrill for trainer Chris Hartman.