Eight Belles Shows New Dimension in Fantasy

Fox Hill Farms et al's EIGHT BELLES (Unbridled's Song) overcame a bad break and a stubborn Alina (Came Home) to take the $237,500 Fantasy S. (G2) at Oaklawn Park at 1-2 on Sunday. The ultra-talented filly broke in the air at the start and was taken back by Ramon Dominguez while Alina set splits of :24 1/5, :48 and 1:12 2/5 for the opening six panels. Eight Belles commenced her run while widest approaching the final turn and, in workmanlike fashion, the gray miss inched clear in the final yards to win by three parts of a length. Trained by Larry Jones, the winner completed 1 1/16 miles on the fast main oval in 1:43, and paid $3 and $2.20.

"Our plans right now are to go the (May 2) Kentucky Oaks (G1), but the (Kentucky) Derby (G1) is not out of the question," owner Rick Porter said. "If we feel she has a good chance in the Derby, we'll go to the Derby.

"We have four weeks. A lot can happen in four weeks."

Alina, exiting an 18 3/4-length win in the Green Oaks at Delta Downs, was kept company by Pure Clan (Pure Prize) to the top of the lane, outmoved her closest foe turning for home and stayed on well in the stretch in a good runner-up showing. The 9-2 third choice paid $3 and finished off the $10.20 exacta (3-4). Pure Clan could not accelerate with the top pair but was coming again at the wire in finishing another half-length back at 2-1. French Kiss (Hussonet) was never in contention while 11 lengths shy of third.

Eight Belles has now won four in a row, including three stakes, to improve her mark to 9-5-2-1, $308,650. The Kentucky-bred has improved vastly since her freshman year, posting a 15-length allowance score, an eye-popping 13 1/2-length romp in the Martha Washington S. and an effortless 1 1/4-length win in the recent Honeybee S. (G3).

A $375,000 purchase at the 2006 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Eight Belles is owned by Fox Hill Farms, which has also campaigned Grade 1 standouts Jostle, Round Pond, and Hard Spun. Eight Belles was bred in Kentucky by Robert Clay and Serengeti Stable.

Eight Belles is the second winner from as many starters out of the mare Away (Dixieland Band), a stakes winner who also placed twice in Grade 3 company. Eight Belles' younger siblings also include an unnamed two-year-old filly by champion Smarty Jones, an unnamed yearling filly by Empire Maker and an unnamed 2008 colt by Dynaformer.