Belleski wins Senator Ken Maddy again

Belleski wins Senator Ken Maddy again

Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Moss's BELLESKI (Polish Numbers) faced a

stiff challenge from the classy Intercontinental (GB) (Danehill)

leaving the hill in Wednesday's $100,000 Sen. Ken Maddy H.

(G3),

but the five-year-old mare proved too good for her rival down the

stretch, pulling clear late for a half-length decision. Now five-for-five

over the turf at Santa Anita, Belleski defended her title in the

Oak Tree Racing Association's opening day feature.

With a confident Corey Nakatani in the irons, the John Sadler

trainee completed the about 6 1/2-furlong grassy affair for

distaffers in a snappy 1:12 4/5 over the firm turf and returned $5.20,

$2.40 and $2.10 to her backers as the 8-5 favorite.

"Boy, that was fun wasn't it?" Nakatani said. "She

really relishes it (the downhill course). What more can you say?

She runs down there, she lays her body down every time and gives

her best effort. And to beat that other filly (Intercontinental)

is pretty special too."

Intercontinental, the 9-5 second choice, finished two lengths

clear in second and paid $2.60 and $2.20. Acago (Royal Academy)

closed from last for third, a nose better than 47-1 longshot

Navaja (NZ) (Daggers Drawn), and was good for $2.20. The $1

exotics totaled $6.70 (exacta), $13.80 (trifecta) and $51.10 for

the 2-8-1-3 superfecta.

Fencelineneighbor (Wild Rush) came next under the wire and was

followed by Festival (Jpn) (Assatis), pacesetter Lady Sabrina (Patton),

Stormica (Storm Cat) and Polygreen (Fr) (Green Tune). Bonaire (GB)

(Air Express) was scratched.

Belleski's only stakes wins have come in the Sen. Ken Maddy.

She placed in the Royal Heroine S. (G3) and Osunitas H. last

season and now owns a 14-7-2-1 line with $344,586 in earnings.

Bred in Kentucky by David Garvin, David Camball et al, the bay

mare was purchased for $150,000 by her current owners at the 2000

Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She's the first registered foal out of

the winning Alysheba mare Rangoon Belle and has an unraced

juvenile half-sister named Thunder Belle (Thunder Gulch).

Sadler said Belleski could make her next appearance on the

Breeders' Cup undercard at Lone Star Park or face males in the

October 30 Morvich H. at Santa Anita.