Unique Bella top mover among Top Midlantic-breds

Unique Bella. Photo courtesy Santa Anita Park.

Staff report

Unique Bella is back — and she’s climbing the polls.

The three-year-old, Pennsylvania-bred Tapit filly made her first start in seven months October 8, and she made short work of her overmatched foes in the Grade 3  L. A. Woman Stakes at Santa Anita Park, winning by over three lengths at 1-5 odds.

As a result, voters in the latest Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll rewarded her, moving her up from fifth place in the poll to third, making her the month’s biggest mover.

Unique Bella, out of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (then called the Ladies’ Classic because… you know… well, who knows?) winner Unrivaled Belle, has won all four of her starts this season and five of six overall in her short career. Her four wins this year have all come in graded stakes company, and she now has career earnings of over $400,000.

Unique Bella was bred in the Keystone State by Brushwood Stable and is owned by Don Alberto Stable, who get her as a yearling at Keeneland’s September sale for the relatively modest price — given her breeding — of $400,000. She’s trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

All of the top seven in the poll were also in the top seven last month. The only other runner in action during the past month was Page McKenney, who scored a 6-1 upset in the Pennsylvania Derby Champion Stakes September 21 for the 20th victory of his stellar career. He has a record of 7-4-2-0 this year for trainer Mary Eppler, and his career earnings now top $1.7 million. With the win, he inched up from seventh place to sixth overall, edging out Green Gratto, who dropped to seventh.

The poll is conducted monthly among a panel of industry participants and media members.

Of the seven horses on the list, four were bred in Pennsylvania. Two were bred in New Jersey, while there was also one Virginia-bred. Four are males, and three are females.

The monthly Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred is the only publication devoted to Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Racing Biz is the independent voice for mid-Atlantic racing and breeding and includes an online publication, a mobile application, and the weekly Off to the Races radio show.

The poll is restricted to horses that have run in 2017 and were bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Carolinas.

TOP MIDLANTIC-BREDS IN ACTION THIS WEEKEND

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Participating Voters: Ted Black (freelance writer), Michael Campbell (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey), Joe Clancy (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Cindy Deubler (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Linda Dougherty (freelance), Debbie Easter (Virginia Thoroughbred Association), Paul Espinosa (Charles Town Races), Anne Frederick (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Rich Glazier (Delaware Park), Cricket Goodall (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Jim Hague (freelance), Nick Hahn (freelance), Carol Holden (West Virginia Breeders Classics), Tom LaMarra (The Blood-Horse), Jeff Nations (freelance), Kate Painter (West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association), Vinnie Perrone (freelance), Frank Petramalo (Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), Gary Quill (The Racing Biz), David Richardson (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), Brian Sanfratello (Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association), Sal Sinatra (Maryland Jockey Club), Chris Sobocinski (Delaware Park), Dan Tordjman (freelance), Frank Vespe (The Racing Biz), Bill Watson (freelance), Lydia Williams (freelance), Bobby Zen (freelance).

Note — Not all participating voters will vote in every poll.