12Bella Ballerina

Bet Bella Ballerina with TwinSpires, the official betting partner of the Kentucky Derby

Who is Bella Ballerina?

Bella Ballerina may have the most compelling family history of any horse in the field when it comes to today's distance. Her father won the Kentucky Derby, and his daughters have consistently shown the ability to handle long races on dirt. More directly, her half-sister won the Kentucky Oaks itself, which is about as relevant a precedent as you can find for a horse entering the same race. Bella Ballerina has already won twice at Churchill Downs, giving her a genuine comfort with this specific track. She hasn't technically run today's exact distance yet, but everything in her background says she'll handle it. The concern is that her most recent race wasn't fast enough to suggest she's hitting top form. A career-best performance is needed, and given her breeding and her record at this track, there's good reason to believe she can deliver one.

Her Racing Story

Bella Ballerina is off to an excellent start! She has raced only four times and already won three races. That's three out of four wins—an amazing winning percentage! Her most recent victory came on Feb. 14, 2026, at Fair Grounds Race Track. She was running 1 1/16 miles and won by a half-length at 4-5 odds. She has earned $561,525 total, showing she races against top competition. In 2026 alone, she has already earned $260,000 from just two races! She's trained by Brendan P. Walsh and owned by Godolphin, one of the most famous racing organizations in the world.

What a stretch battle in the G2 Rachel Alexandra! 👀

BELLA BALLERINA fights back on the rail to stay perfect and add 50 Kentucky Oaks points to her resume! 🌸🎀@brenpwalsh trains the 3YO filly for @godolphin. @tyler_gaff was the pilot!

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/bu0Hjdrdod

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 14, 2026

What Matters

You should root for Bella Ballerina because she's a proven winner! With three wins from just four races, she shows she knows how to win at the highest levels. She's the daughter of Street Sense, a legendary racehorse who won millions of dollars. She's owned by Godolphin, which means she receives elite training and development. She's won at stakes racing level, which means she's competing against the toughest horses available. Her most recent victory shows she's getting better, not worse!

Caution

While Bella Ballerina is very impressive, she has extremely limited racing experience—only four career races. She hasn't raced as many times as other top contenders. All her races have been on fast dirt tracks—she hasn't proven herself on other surfaces. Still, her record so far is excellent.

Bella Ballerina earned 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with her win in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) — the same prep her half-sister Pretty Mischievous won before taking the 2023 Kentucky Oaks. 🌺@Tyler_Gaff spoke about the unbeaten 3yo @godolphin homebred after Bella… pic.twitter.com/NOQxWrscmq

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 15, 2026

Bella Ballerina's Important Related Information

• Paladin, Bella Ballerina stay unbeaten in Risen Star, Rachel Alexandra
• Bella Ballerina aims to stay perfect in Fair Grounds Oaks
• Godolphin’s Bella Ballerina holds on in Golden Rod
• Kentucky Oaks Roundup: Bella Ballerina leaps up Leaderboard; only international contest Friday
• TwinSpires Horse Profile: Bella Ballerina
• Bella Ballerina fights back to claim Rachel Alexandra
• Bella Ballerina lands stakes debut in Golden Rod
• Emerging Market steps up in Louisiana Derby; Bella Ballerina heads Fair Grounds Oaks
• Paladin travels for Risen Star; Bella Ballerina tops Rachel Alexandra