Aurelia's Belle shines in Bourbonette Oaks

Sloane Square, who suffered her first career loss in this, her stakes debut,

was 2 1/2 lengths up on Katie's Eyes on the wire, while La Mejor Fiesta

completed the top four under the line.

"It just didn't happen. I had a horse to the inside of me

and another to the outside. She didn't like getting taken into a hole, but she

still ran a good race," stated John Velazquez, who had piloting duties aboard

Sloane Square. "The winner is a nice horse. She had

been running in good races at Gulfstream, so a nice horse beat me today. I think

the most difference was we didn't get to relax in the first part and we were

fighting the whole way around."

"It was good. Our post position was wide but she broke

really sharp and I was in a good position," explained Corey Lanerie, who held

the reins on Katie's Eyes. "I don't know where (Zensational

Bunny) came from, going around the first turn -- that got my filly rank again.

She settled coming around the (final) turn here. I was a little wide, just kind

of riding the racetrack, but she ran really good."

Super Sky, Stormy Novel, Zensational Bunny, Shanon Nicole, Swiss Lake

Yodeler, Cheerful Contender and Sommerville Miss came next while Turtle River

was withdrawn.

Aurelia's Belle was sent off the 7-2 second choice and paid $9.40 for

finishing a mile on the Polytrack in 1:38 4/5. She also earned 50 points toward

a starting berth in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, and moved to the

top of the leaderboard with a total of 64 points.

Her other 14 points came via a runner-up effort in the Forward Gal and a

third in the Davona Dale, both at Gulfstream Park. The Wayne Catalano pupil

started off the year with a third in the Old Hat, also at Gulfstream, in her

first try on dirt. Aurelia's Belle broke her maiden at first asking last October

over Keeneland's Polytrack in her only juvenile start.

"She likes the Polytrack; she won on it her first time

(out). She worked great on it the other day at Keeneland," Catalano remarked. "She got a beautiful

trip. The race set up just like we thought. It was a great ride from Channing to

get her out when she needed to.

"We liked the timing of this going into the (Kentucky)

Oaks. That race looks like the next step. That's (owner Jim Miller's) dream, to

win the Oaks. That's why we're here. At least we know we'll get in there."

Miller purchased Aurelia's Belle for $170,000 as a Keeneland September

yearling. Bred in Kentucky by Alexander-Groves-Matz, the bay miss is out of the

Danzig mare Aurelia, who never actually won on track but found breeding shed success with

the Bourbonette Oaks winner.

Aurelia is herself the daughter of Grade 2 diva Aishah, who

also produced Grade 1 scorer Aldiza, Grade 2 heroine Atelier, stakes winner

Arabis, Grade 1-placed Aunt Anne, Grade 3 runner-up Elajjud and multiple

stakes-placed They Call Me Giant.

Aurelias Belle counts as her third dam 1983 Broodmare of the Year and

blue-hen mare Courtly Dee,

whose descendants include champion two-year-old filly Althea; UAE Horse of the

Year Festival of Light; Japanese champion filly Yamanin Paradise; Grade

1-scoring millionaire Acoma; and Grade/Group 1 winners Balletto, Ali Oop, Ketoh,

Aldiza and Green Desert.

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