Godolphin’s Bella Ballerina holds on in Golden Rod 

Nov 29, 2025 Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs Racetrack Communications

Bella Ballerina wins the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Bella Ballerina wins the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025) – Godolphin’s 2-year-old homebred filly Bella Ballerina sat five lengths back of a runaway pacesetter before she made the first run around the final turn and had enough energy left to hold on and win Saturday’s 82nd running of the $397,375 Golden Rod (Grade II) at Churchill Downs by a diminishing half-length over a fast-closing Atropa.

Bella Ballerina, a 4 1/4-length winner in her Oct. 5 debut at Keeneland and half-sister to 2023 Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous, returned to run 1 1/16 miles over a “fast” track in 1:43.50 in a field of 10 2-year-old fillies. Tyler Gaffalione rode the winner for trainer Brendan Walsh.

“It’s amazing ever since she ran the first time she appears to be becoming more and more like (Pretty Mischievous),” Walsh said. “We loved her sister and hopefully this one will be just as good.”

This marked the second year in a row that Godolphin won the Golden Rod with a homebred. Good Cheer, who’d go on to win this spring’s Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI), prevailed in last year’s Golden Rod by 2 1/2 lengths under the care of trainer Brad Cox and jockey Luis Saez.

Bella Ballerina collected the $238,440 first prize and 10 points as part of the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series, which offers points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers as a “Prep Season” race.

After 65-1 longshot Essential Coffee stumbled out of the gate and dropped jockey Corey Lanerie, New York’s $200,000 Maid of the Mist winner Letmecounttheways ran off to the front and led the field through early fractions of a :23.45, :46.31 and 1:11.19 as Bella Ballerina was several lengths behind but a clear second.

Bella Ballerina engaged the tiring leader at the head of the stretch before she took command with a furlong to run. With Atropa, Just Singing and Life of Joy closing from far back, Bella Ballerina flopped back to her left lead while tiring in the final sixteenth of a mile but outlasted her challengers for the win.

“Going from a sprint to her first time around two turns, there can always be some questions, but we were confident in her that she’d be able to handle it today,” Gaffalione said. “All the credit goes to Brendan and his team for having her ready to do that. She really showed up for us today. It just made my job easier.”

Bella Ballerina paid $10.28, $6.12 and $4.76 as the 4-1 third betting choice. Atropa, under Jose Ortiz at odds of 4-1, paid $4.92 and $3.66. Just Singing, at 6-1, was another half-length back in third and returned $3.86 to show with Luan Machado up.

Life of Joy, the Rags to Riches winner and 5-2 favorite, finished fourth and was followed by Letmecounttheways, Vita Mia, Baracca, Coco Connect and Raspberry. Essential Coffee was caught by the Churchill Downs outriders. Explora, The Grumpy Rabbit and Wonzee Weather were scratched.

Bella Ballerina’s earnings now total $301,525.

“Early in the race I was just hoping we were in the right spot,” Walsh said. “Everyone has been on the pace this weekend that has been running well. It was a little bit of a weird race. Tyler said he smooched at her around the three-eighths pole and took off. She just got a little tired late and that’s what’s to be expected going two turns for the first time. She passed with flying colors.”

By 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, Bella Ballerina is out of the Tapit mare Pretty City Dancer, who won the Grade I Spinaway. The bay filly was bred in Kentucky.

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