For the second consecutive week, a runner-up in a major race in April at Oaklawn Park returned to win a prestigious event in Southern California.
Champion Unique Bella was a 2 ¼-length winner of the Grade 1 $400,000 Beholder Mile Stakes for fillies and mares Saturday at Santa Anita Park, surpassing $1 million in career earnings in her 11th career start.
Unique Bella was making her first start since finishing a troubled second in the Grade 1 $700,000 Apple Blossom Handicap for older fillies and mares April 13 at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom marked the first start outside California for Unique Bella, a 4-year-old gray daughter of Tapit who earned an Eclipse Award last year as the country's champion female sprinter.
Unique Bella broke slowly in the Apple Blossom, but she had no problems from the gate Saturday under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. Unique Bella dueled through swift fractions of :44.96 for a half-mile and 1:09.34 for 6 furlongs before taking command on the outside turning for home. She covered a mile over a fast track in 1:35.60 and paid $3 as the heavy favorite.
Unique Bella's eighth career victory pushed her earnings to $1,092,400 for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
Another millionaire, Accelerate, won the Grade 1 $500,000 Gold Cup Stakes at Santa Anita May 26 after finishing second in the Grade 2 $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap for older horses April 14.
Champion Stellar Wind swept the Apple Blossom and Beholder Mile Stakes last year.
Oaklawn-raced Chief Cicatriz was a 6 ¼-length winner of the Grade 3 $100,000 Aristides Stakes for sprinters Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Shawn Davis, Chief Cicatriz ran 6 furlongs over a fast track in 1:08.44, less than a second off the track record, and paid $6.60 as the favorite.
The Arizona-based Chief Cicatriz won his first five career starts before finishing sixth in Oaklawn's $125,000 Hot Springs Stakes for older sprinters last year. In his next start, Chief Cicatriz ran fourth in Oaklawn's Grade 3 $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap.
Chief Cicatriz, then under the daily care of trainer Mike Johnson, was training at Oaklawn early in the 2018 season before returning to Turf Paradise in Arizona, where he captured two stakes races.
Overall, Chief Cicatriz has won 8 of 11 starts and earned $286,881.
Wilbo, who won the $125,000 King Cotton Stakes Feb. 3 at Oaklawn, finished third in the Aristides.
American Anthem, 10th as the favorite in the Grade 2 $900,000 Rebel Stakes for 3-year-olds last year at Oaklawn, was a 1 ¾-length winner of his 4-year-old debut, an allowance sprint Friday at Churchill Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
A son of 2012 Arkansas Derby winner Bodemeister, American Anthem covered 7 furlongs over a fast track in 1:21.19 -- less than a second off the track record -- and paid $3.60 as the favorite. Storm Advisory, winner of the $125,000 King Cotton Stakes for older sprinters last year at Oaklawn, finished second.
Oaklawn maiden winner Zack Ridge Road ($11.10) won the $18,000 Balooga Bull Overnight Stakes for 3-year-olds Friday at Assiniboia Downs in Canada.
Multiple Oaklawn starter-allowance winner Wings Locked Up ($4.60) won the $50,000 Honor the Hero Stakes Saturday at Canterbury Park.
Fort Fortitude, a two-time allowance winner this year at Oaklawn, ran third in the $75,000 Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Sports on 06/07/2018