Bellafina

Bellafina, a 2-year-old Quality Road filly owned by Kaleem Shah and trained by Simon Callaghan, finished second in her debut start at Los Alamitos on July 4, 2018. She returned in the Grade 2 Sorrentos Stakes during Del Mar’s summer meet and led start to finish to win the six-furlong race by a dominant 4 ¼ lengths under jockey Flavien Prat.

Bellafina returned in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 1 during Del Mar’s closing weekend. Facing four opponents, the filly set just off the early pace, took the lead through the far turn, and pulled away in the stretch for her second consecutive graded stakes score, winning once again by 4 ¼ lengths. She cemented her credentials as a leading contender for the Tito's Handmade Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with another dominant victory in her first try around two turns in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes on Sept. 29 at Santa Anita Park.

Bellafina finished fourth in the Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs as the favorite, and then took a two-month break before returning in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Jan. 6, 2019. Sent off as the 2-5 favorite, Bellafina romped by 8 ½ lengths in a great comeback performance. She followed with a hard-fought victory over Enaya Alrabb in the Grade 2, one-mile Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 9 at Santa Anita Park.

In her final prep for the Longines Kentucky Oaks, Bellafina cruised three-wide along the backstretch stalking the pace and took over in the far turn en route to a professional 5 ¼-length score as the 3-10 favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 6.

In the Kentucky Oaks, Bellafina was sent off as the 9-5 favorite but turned in a disappointing performance, finishing fifth by eight lengths. She struggled over summer 2019, finishing a well-beaten third and fourth in the Grade 1 Longines Test Stakes and the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes, respectively. But Bellafina recaptured some of her stellar early form in November back at her home track of Santa Anita Park, rallying stoutly through the stretch and coming up just short to Covfefe in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. She closed out her 3-year-old season with a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes Dec. 28 at Santa Anita.

Bellafina made her first start as a 4-year-old in the Carousel Stakes at Oaklawn Park April 25 and faded to finish a well-beaten fourth. She rebounded to win the Grade 3 Desert Stormer Stakes by a length May 17 at Santa Anita. Bellafina next ran second in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos, before shipping to Saratoga for the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes Aug. 8 and finishing second again, this time to familiar rival Serengeti Empress.

Shah bought Bellafina for $800,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida select 2-year-old auction in early 2018.