Bella Bellucci Smokes A Half Mile In :47.60 At Churchill
April 20, 2002

BELLA BELLUCCI - Michael Tabor's Bella Bellucci, winner of the Comely (GIII) at Aqueduct in her most recent outing, breezed four furlongs over a "fast" track in :47.60, the third fastest of 33 at the distance under the Twin Spires on Apr 20.

Exercise rider Marcelino Olguin was aboard for the work, which occurred just after the track opened at 5:45 a.m. (EDT) and well before morning rains left the surface sloppy.

The Neil Drysdale-trained daughter of French Deputy galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.

"She went well," said Drysdale.

Bella Bellucci completed her juvenile campaign with a third-place finish behind Tempera and Imperial Gesture in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI). Drysdale gave her a long break over the winter and she returned to competition on March 24 with a win in the 6 ½-furlong Santa Paula at Santa Anita. She followed that effort with a dominating win in the Comely (GIII) last Sunday (April 14) at Aqueduct.

"She was growing, so we stopped her and turned her out," he said. "She's doing well now. So far, so good."

Bella Bellucci also won the Astarita Breeders' Cup (GII) last fall at Belmont Park and has a career record of 4-0-1 in five races.

BELTERRA/TAKE THE CAKE - Trainer Carl Nafzger's two Kentucky Oaks contenders, Robert Manfuso's Golden Rod (GIII) winner Belterra and Elizabeth Valando's Ashland (GI) runner-up Take The Cake, galloped over a "sloppy" track.

Both fillies are expected to work sometime next week.

MS BROOKSKI/CHAMROUSSE - Trainer Niall O'Callaghan's pair of Oaks contenders, Gary Tanaka's Bonnie Miss (GI) winner Ms Brookski and Arthur Hancock III and James Stone's Fantasy runner-up Chamrousse, were out for a gallop over the "sloppy" surface near the end of training hours.

O'Callaghan was unsure of when those horses would breeze.

"Ms Brookski could go around the middle of the week," said O'Callaghan. "The other filly just ran, so we'd wait a few more days with her."

TAKE CHARGE LADY - Trainer Ken McPeek reported that Select Stable's Ashland (GI) winner came out of a Friday (April 19) breeze in good shape. "She's doing great," said McPeek. The daughter of Dehere will have one more work before the May 3 Kentucky Oaks (gi).