
Bellezza and Jaime Rodriguez secure victory in the Flower Bowl (Chelsea Durand)
Mary Eddy/NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Moyglare Stud Farm’s Irish homebred Bellezza utilized a strong closing kick to run down Grade 1-winning pacesetter Be Your Best and draw off to a 2 1/4-length triumph in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl, a 1 3/8-mile inner turf route for older fillies at mares, at Saratoga Race Course.
The Flower Bowl awarded Bellezza a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar as part of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.
The win adds to an already stellar Saratoga meet for trainer Miguel Clement, who won his sixth turf stakes since the July 10 Opening Day card. Bellezza notched her second career graded score after taking the Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay at odds of 10-1 with Jaime Rodriguez aboard in May at Belmont at the Big A.
The Siyouni 4-year-old entered off a pair of graded placings over yielding footing in the Grade 1 New York presented by Rivers Casino [third] in June under Flavien Prat and the Grade 2 Ballston Spa [second] under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario when 8 3/4 lengths back of reopposing stablemate La Mehana.
“I’ve always thought she was better on firm turf,” said Clement, who also won Monmouth Park’s Violet with Breath Away shortly before the Flower Bowl. “Her last two efforts might have been a touch subpar by her standards, and that’s due to the ground.”
With Rodriguez back aboard on Saturday, Bellezza emerged from the outermost post 7 and was in no hurry as the Edgard Zayas-piloted Be Your Best sprinted to the front to mark splits of 24.70 seconds and 49.19 over the firm footing with Long Ago tracking well behind in second just ahead of Madame Mischief.
Bellezza was last heading into the backstretch behind a strung-out field while Be Your Best ticked off three-quarters in 1:13.54 and the mile in 1:37.24 before her rivals began to close the gap and the Clement-trained post-time favorite La Mehana, who raced outside a rival throughout under Kendrick Carmouche, came under a strong ride just ahead of Bellezza.
“I thought it was a tale of two trips – first thing Kendrick told me after on La Mehana is, ‘I was never able to get her switched off or covered up. I’m always too wide and she’s always keen and racing a bit,’” Clement said. “Whereas, Jamie was able to be on the rail, switched her off and it was a tale of two trips to be honest.”
Rodriguez waited patiently for the right moment to rouse his charge, and cut the corner before Long Ago angled in to make her run at Be Your Best at the top of the lane. A window opened between the backpedaling Madame Mischief and the rallying Amber Cascade, and Rodriguez seized his opportunity, shaking his reins to let Bellezza unleash a devastating turn of foot. She gained with every stride on the tiring Be Your Best, and swept past inside the final sixteenth to win going away in a final time of 2:14.80.
Amber Cascade found enough late to nail Be Your Best for place honors with La Mehana completing the superfecta. Madame Mischief, Long Ago and Marksman Queen completed the order of finish. In Time and main track-only entrant Amanda’s Folly were scratched.
Clement praised the ride from Rodriguez, who came in from Delaware Park to ride today’s card at the Spa.
“It’s tough to fault the two of them – they’re 2-for-2,” Clement said. “He’s won his two graded stakes on the filly and he gave her a remarkable ride.”
Rodriguez said the ground-saving trip was key to victory.
“We broke from the outside post, Miguel told me to try to save some ground in the beginning and that’s what we did,” Rodriguez said. “In the first turn, we got a little bit wide, then dropped in a little bit, and then we caught the rail all the way on the backside. Once we got from the three sixteenths to the quarter-pole, I just released her and tried to find the spot where we go. Once she was clear, she explodes. I’m really happy with her, the way she was running.”
Rodriguez won his first graded stake aboard Bellezza in the Sheepshead Bay, and has now won the most lucrative race of his career atop the talented bay. The 34-year-old native of Puerto Rico said he is looking forward to the future with Bellezza.
“This is a dream come true, like I told my wife, ‘this is what I want, a horse to take me to the Breeders’ Cup,’” Rodriguez said. “I think she loves the hard ground [more] than softer. Her last two previous races, before I won on her [today], she didn’t handle the turf pretty good and today, she was amazing. She’s an amazing filly. I love her. Since Day One I rode her, I told Miguel, I love this mare. I told my agent wherever she goes, I want to go when she goes.”
Clement said Bellezza has likely earned the chance to compete at the Breeders’ Cup, with a possible prep in the 11-furlong Grade 3 Waya on October 5 at Belmont at the Big A.
“We might have to entertain the Breeders’ Cup – a mile and three-eighths and she might be good enough. We shall see,” Clement said. “If we do anything, we could entertain the idea of running in the Waya, but I don’t know if we’ll want to or just keep her fresh for Breeders’ Cup.”
Bellezza has hit the board in each of her four stateside outings, which came after beginning her career in her native Ireland with trainer Ger Lyons. She banked $275,000 in victory while improving her record to 11-4-3-2 and returning $7.50 on a $2 win ticket.
Nik Juarez, aboard the Mike Maker-trained runner-up Amber Cascade, said the daughter of Free Drop Billy ran respectably in her second start since being claimed for $60,000 by Flying P Stable and switched to turf.
“Mike has done a great job with her, as well as Flying P, her owner. We sat a good trip turning for home. Just got out-run,” Juarez said. “She broke a little hesitant, but after that she sat a good trip, made a good run coming for home.”
Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga Race Course with a 14-race card, headlined by the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup in Race 5 – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar – and the $135,000 Disco Partner in Race 10. First post is 11:20 a.m. Eastern.
Highlighted by the 107th running of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, a special edition of Saratoga Live presented by Caesars Sportsbook will air on FOX from 1-2 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, August 31.