Bellabel (IRE)

Bellabel, a Belardo filly bred in Ireland, made her first five starts in her native country with one win, one second, and one third. Sent to California in January 2022, she turned heads in her North American debut for trainer Phil D’Amato, taking the listed Blue Norther Stakes at Santa Anita Park by 2 ¼ lengths.

After a break of nearly seven months, Bellabel returned in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes July 23 at Del Mar. She was sent off as the 3-1 favorite in a competitive field of 12 3-year-old fillies, and fired off the bench for her ownership group and D’Amato, rallying on the inside to win the one-mile turf race by two lengths with Umberto Rispoli aboard. The filly concluded her 3-year-old season with good efforts in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and Queen Elizabeth II Cup Stakes Presented by Dixiana, finishing second and third, respectively.

Following those starts, Bellabel was sidelined for just over 15 months but was brought back to racing after going unsold in the 2023 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. She returned in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes Feb. 3, 2024, at Santa Anita Park and showed little rust off of the break, setting the pace and driving clear under Flavien Prat to post her second graded stakes win and third stakes win overall.

Bellabel is owned by Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano.