Bella Bellini ends up best in Breeders Crown

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The two harness racing favorites turned for home in front in the $650,000 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Trot. Altar, the 1-2 choice, braced for Bella Bellini, the 8-5 second choice, to bear down on her through the straightaway battle, but a bad step took Altar out of contention and left Bella Bellini to coast to a 1:53 victory on Saturday (Oct. 30) at The Meadowlands.

After getting stuck in far-turn traffic to almost lose her elimination, driver Dexter Dunn opted to place Bella Bellini near the front in a four-wide skirmish for the top. Amazone Duharas protected position to the pylons while Bella Bellini kept a headstrong Altar three-wide moving to a :28 first quarter. Iteration, the fourth prong of the early pace battle, ducked to follow Altar’s cover, but broke stride entering the backside.

Bella Bellini overtook Amazone Duharas before yielding control to Altar, who cruised to a :56.4 half with the two-wide tier still developing far off the front. Herculisa committed to grind first-over from fifth rounding the final turn and ranged to within two lengths of the lead to three-quarters in 1:25.4, though not near enough to seal Bella Bellini to the pylons.

Dunn moved to attack Altar off the bottom of the turn and drew to equal terms approaching the eighth pole. Their brewing battle turned brief with Altar caving to Bella Bellini’s pressure and jumping off stride midway through the stretch, giving the Richard “Nifty” Norman trainee an open-length lead to the finish. Anoka Hanover ripped from third-over to cut Bella Bellini’s advantage to the finish, beaten two lengths, while Splash Blue Chip rallied to beat Herculisa in a photo for third.

“She’s always been so good off a helmet,” Dunn said of Bella Bellini after the race, having decided to try for a pocket trip instead of her usual second-over sweep. “I’ve driven Altar as well — she’s run some good miles, and I just didn’t want to get too far away from her if she was on her game. We pushed out a little bit early, and got a perfect trip after that.

BELLA BELLINI REPLAY

“I was waiting and waiting, and [Bella Bellini] tried to go a little too fast and put a step in,” Dunn also said. “After that, I grabbed her up, and I just let her go to the line under a good hold. She’s had a great year, but the last two weeks, she’s never felt better. Credit to the team in getting her as sharp as she is at the end of the year.”

The victory adds to Bella Bellini’s strong 3-year-old season off the wings of a winless freshman campaign. She has won 10 times from 24 starts and entered millionaire’s row with the win, now owning $1,021,463 in her coffers. Bella Bellini’s victory also makes her just the 11th filly to win both the Hambletonian Oaks and the Breeders Crown. Dexter Dunn won his eighth Crown trophy with the win, and trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman won his seventh. She is a homebred for David McDuffee, who won his eighth trophy as an owner but his first as a breeder.

“I’m not a big breeder, but when I do get one that can reach this far, it’s a special feeling, for sure,” McDuffee said after the race. “It’s a Pizza Dolce line [Bella Bellini’s second dam], and I’ve had a lot of luck with it all along. She’s frosting on the cake.”

Bella Bellini (Bar Hopping) paid $5.20 to win.

For full race results, click here.

by Ray Cotolo, for the Breeders Crown