Lothenbach Stables’ Bell’s the One, favored at odds of 4-5, made her signature late run under jockey Corey Lanerie to win Wednesday’s Grade 2 Honorable Miss Stakes. The 5-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection was trainer Neil Pessin’s first starter at Saratoga, and ran six furlongs over the fast main track in 1:09.83. Though the winning margin was only a neck, Bell’s the One always appeared to have the measure of her 3-1 rival Lake Avenue and had something left in reserve at the wire.
Bell’s the One broke well from the outside post, but was quickly left at the rear of the field as the frontrunners raced up the Saratoga backstretch. Ain’t No Elmers grabbed the early lead over Honey I’m Good, setting fractions of :23.80 and :45.85, while Lanerie patiently allowed Bell’s the One to find her stride.
Lake Avenue was behind a wall of horses turning for home so jockey Junior Alvarado angled her out to the center of the course. Lanerie tracked that move and went wider still, drafting Bell’s the One off Lake Avenue’s hip as they geared up for the final three-sixteenths of a mile.
When the two sprinters matched strides at the eighth pole, Lanerie gave Bell’s the One her cue to hit her next gear. The mare responded willingly, pulling ahead by a neck at the finish while appearing to have something left in the tank after the finish. Lake Avenue had to settle for second after a game effort, and it was several lengths back to pacesetter Ain’t No Elmers. Truth Hurts filled out the superfecta.
Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones, Bell’s the One is out of the winning Street Cry mare Street Mate, a half-sister to Grade 1-placed, Grade 2 winner Tap Day (Pleasant Tap). As a yearling, Bell’s the One commanded $155,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. She won her first four starts, and got her first top-level win in the 2020 edition of the G1 Derby City Distaff before running third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
The Honorable Miss is the second win in a row for Bell’s the One, and improves her overall record to nine wins from 19 starts for earnings of $1.13 million.
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