Her In mischief daughter, Pretty naughty went on to win the Kentucky Oaks (G1) of three Class 1 victories in 2023. Now, Pretty City Dancer’s Street feeling filly, Beautiful dancer is officially headed to the 2026 Oaks with a victory on November 29 in the $397,375 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs.
“She has produced some really nice foals for us,” Godolphin USA director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said of the 11-year-old broodmare. “It is very nice that a mare has two rated fillies of that caliber. Hopefully we will have her for a long time.”
Bella Ballerina’s first score came around two turns in her first start. Capping off a debut victory by 4 1/4 lengths at Keeneland On October 5, over six furlongs, trainer Brendan Walsh was confident the filly could handle the extra ground on the second question.
“It’s a big step forward, and it’s really a different game,” Walsh said. “It has worked well in the past to sprint them early the first time, it gives them a bit of speed.”
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The race was an experience from start to finish. Essential coffee stumbled in the opening steps of the race, dropping Corey Lanerie on the track before completing the race behind the field. Both horse and rider left in apparently good condition. Than, Let me count the ways started early on the field as she clicked through fractions of :23.45, :46.31 and 1:11.19.
Still, Tyler Gaffalione didn’t panic aboard Bella Ballerina and worked her from the far outpost to two off the rail around the clubhouse bend. She got into a solid rhythm as she essentially led the rest of the pack while five lengths behind Letmecounttheways. When Gaffalione asked her at the three-eighths pole, she answered.
“The speed kept going and I was able to just relax her. She closed off me great,” Gaffalione said. “She was just galloping around when I asked her to run at the top of the track.”
Bella Ballerina easily took command in the piece and opened up. However, she only began to show signs of the distance change late on when she switched back to her left lead in the last sixteenth, helping to fuel the late rallies of Atropa And Just sing . She stopped the clock in 1:43.50, winning by half a length and paying $10.28.
Connections celebrates Bella Ballerina’s victory in the Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs
Although the stride at the wire got shorter, the same jockey-trainer-owner team that raced Pretty Mischievous was pleased with the win and how it moves the filly forward into the spring.
“She has a pedigree to stay, today was probably the only day she was going to get a little tired when she got to the wire,” Walsh said. “I wasn’t surprised when those fillies came at her at the end, but I thought Tyler measured it perfectly and gave her a great ride. Plus, she was alone there for a while, which is tough. But she learned a lot from it. She should improve a lot and continue next year.”
With her victory, Bella Ballerina earned 10 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, while the top five finishers received points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1. This was then Godolphin’s second consecutive victory in the Golden Rod Good cheer won the race last year on her way to winning the 2025 Kentucky Oaks.
“It’s important to have a race around this track if you think you have a filly good enough to point to the Oaks,” Banahan said. “To go from six furlongs to two turns – to do that today – was extremely impressive. Super impressive effort from the filly and we can dream a bit here in the winter in the Oaks.”
The dreams are realistic given the family history. Although Bella Ballerina is already one step ahead of her sister, Pretty Mischievous came third in her Golden Rod attempt.
“They’re actually completely different. The only way they look alike is the color and the way they look,” Gaffalione said of the half-sisters. “They are completely different fillies, but both super talented and I’m just grateful to be part of the team.”
A big similarity seems to be winning big races among the Twin Spits, which is also shared by Bella Ballerina’s father, Street Sense. The 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner picked up his fourth graded winner of the year – highlighted by his two-time Grade 1-winning daughter, The face . Street Sense will be with Darley for the 2026 season for a fee of $40,000.
Video: Goldenrod S. (G2)
On time girl, many of the best in Fern Creek
Three races earlier on the Stars of Tomorrow II card, young fillies got the chance to sprint in the $225,000 Fern Creek Stakes, and Albaugh Family Stables homebred On time girl took advantage.
On Time Girl wins the Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs
The Not this time filly took the lead early before Irad Ortiz Jr. who gave in Solemn vow which determined fractions of :23.04 and :46.08. On Time Girl then took control at the top of the course and rallied for a decisive score of 3 1/2 lengths, completing 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.83. Paige Turner came second and A fine Chardonnay who defeated On Time Girl in Keeneland’s Myrtlewood Stakes, finished third.
“She was able to have a target to run to and be right by the leader,” trainer Brad Cox said. ‘She was able to finish well today. We can try to stretch her gradually. I’m not sure if she’s a mile-and-eighth horse, but she’s honest and a good workhorse.”
Video: Fern Creek S. (BT)
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