Don Alberto Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Unique Bella (Tapit), recent winner of the GII Santa Ynez S. Jan. 8, worked five furlongs at Santa Anita in a bullet :58.20 (1/86) Thursday in preparation for a start in the Feb. 5 GII Las Virgenes S. The gray drilled with regular exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez aboard.
“It was a very good work,” Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. “We usually don't work them that fast, but she was doing it all on her own.”
Unique Bella made amends for a troubled second-place finish on debut with a dominant graduation at second asking going 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 26 prior to her 7 1/2-length score in the seven-furlong Santa Ynez.
Meanwhile, two-time champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) has returned to Hollendorfer's barn at Santa Anita after an early winter vacation at WinStar Farm in Kentucky. The dark bay experienced her first defeat in 12 starts when second, beaten a nose by four-time champion Beholder (Henny Hughes), in the Nov. 4 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.
“She trained Tuesday, Wednesday and today, but she won't be working for at least a month,” Hollendorfer explained.
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