America Europe Australia
Monday, September 28, 2026
Follow @theTDN
↓ Today's PDF Subscribe Free
Today's Edition:  Record-Setting $1.4M Justify Filly Leads The Way at OBS · Baeza Set for Summer Showdown · Royal Ascot Coverage 2

Unique Bella Returns in L.A. Woman

| 1:49 pm

Don Alberto Stable's Unique Bella and jockey Mike Smith win the Grade II, $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes, Sunday, January 8, 2017 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia CA.© BENOIT PHOTO

Streaking 'TDN Rising Star' Unique Bella (Tapit) will make her highly anticipated return to the races as the 1-5 morning-line favorite against six overmatched rivals while prepping for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in the GIII L.A. Woman S. at Santa Anita Sunday.

The $400,000 Keeneland September purchase has been sidelined by a sore shin (TDN APBs) since rattling off four straight victories between November and March, including an easy victory over division leader and subsequent three-time Grade I heroine Abel Tasman (Quality Road) when last seen in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 4. She has returned to the worktab in fine form, posting five straight bullets, including a sparkling four-furlong move in :45 3/5 (1/33) in Arcadia Oct. 4.

Only two other previous stakes winners will enter the starting gate. Cuddle Alert (Bedford Falls) took home the Spring Fever H. for California-breds back in February while Princess Karen (Stay Thirsty) went gate-to-wire in the Beverly J. Lewis S. at Los Alamitos last time Sept. 9.