Bella Ballerina Delivers Stunning Upset in Golden Rod Stakes
Godolphin's 2-year-old filly Bella Ballerina made a dramatic comeback to claim victory in the 82nd running of the Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. The talented bay filly, trained by Brendan Walsh and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, overcame an early deficit and surged past the leaders to secure a hard-fought half-length win.
Bella Ballerina, who dominated her Keeneland debut just last month, proved herself once again as she navigated the 1 1/16-mile distance with ease, crossing the finish line in a blistering 1:43.50. The victory marked Godolphin's second consecutive Golden Rod win, with stablemate Good Cheer taking the title last year.
Bella Ballerina's impressive performance earned her a tidy $238,440 winner's share and crucial points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, increasing her lead in the prestigious competition. Her half-sister Pretty Mischievous won the 2023 Kentucky Oaks earlier this year, further solidifying the filly's pedigree.
In contrast, Atropa, who came from behind to mount a late charge, was left to settle for second place and a hefty $4.92 payoff. The other top finishers in the field were Just Singing and Life of Joy, both of whom are expected to be major contenders at the Kentucky Oaks.
Walsh praised Gaffalione's skillful handling of the filly, saying "It just made my job easier." For his part, Gaffalione credited Walsh and his team with preparing Bella Ballerina for her biggest test yet. The win marked a significant milestone in Bella Ballerina's burgeoning career, now boasting a total purse earnings of $301,525.
Bella Ballerina's stunning upset in the Golden Rod Stakes has sent shockwaves through the racing community, and many are now eagerly anticipating her next move as she continues to climb the ranks of the Kentucky Oaks. Will this talented filly continue her winning streak at the prestigious event, or will another contender emerge to challenge her? Only time will tell.
Godolphin's 2-year-old filly Bella Ballerina made a dramatic comeback to claim victory in the 82nd running of the Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. The talented bay filly, trained by Brendan Walsh and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, overcame an early deficit and surged past the leaders to secure a hard-fought half-length win.
Bella Ballerina, who dominated her Keeneland debut just last month, proved herself once again as she navigated the 1 1/16-mile distance with ease, crossing the finish line in a blistering 1:43.50. The victory marked Godolphin's second consecutive Golden Rod win, with stablemate Good Cheer taking the title last year.
Bella Ballerina's impressive performance earned her a tidy $238,440 winner's share and crucial points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, increasing her lead in the prestigious competition. Her half-sister Pretty Mischievous won the 2023 Kentucky Oaks earlier this year, further solidifying the filly's pedigree.
In contrast, Atropa, who came from behind to mount a late charge, was left to settle for second place and a hefty $4.92 payoff. The other top finishers in the field were Just Singing and Life of Joy, both of whom are expected to be major contenders at the Kentucky Oaks.
Walsh praised Gaffalione's skillful handling of the filly, saying "It just made my job easier." For his part, Gaffalione credited Walsh and his team with preparing Bella Ballerina for her biggest test yet. The win marked a significant milestone in Bella Ballerina's burgeoning career, now boasting a total purse earnings of $301,525.
Bella Ballerina's stunning upset in the Golden Rod Stakes has sent shockwaves through the racing community, and many are now eagerly anticipating her next move as she continues to climb the ranks of the Kentucky Oaks. Will this talented filly continue her winning streak at the prestigious event, or will another contender emerge to challenge her? Only time will tell.
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! I mean, she came from behind and totally dominated the field... it's like she was born to run or something 
. The fact that she won by a half-length is impressive too - you could tell she had some serious fire in her belly 
. And let's not forget how much money she won - $238k isn't chump change 
. I'm definitely curious to see what happens next for this talented filly... will she keep her winning streak going at the Kentucky Oaks? Only time will tell, but for now, I'm just hyped to be watching 
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she's defo got some serious skills on those tracks, and i'm low-key rooting for her to take down that kentucky oaks crown 
hope she keeps up the good work and gets that sweet victory 
I'm glad to see Bella Ballerina pulling off that upset win in the Golden Rod Stakes! She's definitely got some serious talent under her saddle 
. But, gotta ask, was she really that far behind at one point? It feels like just yesterday we were talking about how dominant she was at Keeneland... and now here she is, coming from behind to take it all 
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. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how Bella Ballerina handles herself at the Kentucky Oaks... fingers crossed she keeps her winning streak going! 
I'm loving the excitement around her potential Kentucky Oaks run - can't wait to see what she does next 
i mean like she came from behind and still managed to take the win, that's pure skill! Brendan walsh is def doing something right with that filly, and tyler gaffalione is an amazing rider too. atropa might've been close, but bella ballerina was just too fast. and yeah, it's not surprising she's taking the lead in the kentucky oaks... she's got some serious talent behind her! 
i love how brendan walsh and tyler gaffalione made such an awesome team they r clearly meant 2 be there. and omg her payday was like $238k lol i guess ur right tho, bella ballerina is def the filly 2 beat at the kentucky oaks now let's see if she can keep it up 
and I'm loving every minute of this Cinderella story 
. Bring on the next challenge!