MB Stables Good Line (#5) leads stablemate General Belle to capture the GR-1 Bel Oaks

The BEL Oaks (Grade 1)- $1,000.000 Purse
BEL- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Quarter on the Inner Turf
July 8, 2017

The BEL Oaks proved to be a very good race for Mb Stables. This is a race that he had never won in the past, but today he gets to check off another from that list as he gets a little bit closer to winning his 400th career graded stake. It seemed as though he had a great chance to win this race from the start, as his two entries, General Belle and Good Line were two of the best in this field. Deciding which of the two would have the better chance to beat the other was a more challenging proposition. They had been coupled twice in the past, and each had defeated the other, but only General Belle did so while also winning the race. The betting public seemed to put more faith in Good Line, however, as she was the second choice on the board. Apparently, the Oryctodromeus fan club was at the race as she went from 50/1 in the morning line, to the 3/1 favorite. Aboard the winner was I Ortiz Jr, also doing so for the first time. Congratulations to both of them! Here’s a look at the result.

(½ Mile- :47.52)- Breaking quickest out of the gate were the those in the three outer most post positions. That, of course, is not earth shattering news any longer. Those three beneficiaries here were Tightness from EasyMoney Stables, Bonkers form Team 7 Illusions, and Eastern Sky from Maxmillion Farm. These three clear the rest of the field by about two lengths going into the opening turn. Ultimately, Tightness and Bonkers take charge moving into the backstretch while Eastern Sky drops back about two lengths. Oryctodromeus (Blushing Meadows), who did not enjoy the outside push, makes an energetic move around the opening turn to advance her position, and emerges into third, and is about a length back. From there, we’re looking at the pack, as General Belle is on the rail with her Mb Stables’ partner in crime, Good Line to her outside. Those two are four lengths from the lead, and Killer Angels (TwinTowersRacing) is keeping them company. She Needsa Brazilian is length behind them for Hawaiian Shirt Guy while Cinis (John Henry) sees them all in front of her.

(3/4 Mile- 1:11.13)- This portion of the race sees the field just riding it out while going down the backstretch. Not much new to report as Tightness and Bonkers are still battling for the lead, but Oryctodromeus now joins them at the front in a three wide position. The action was preparing to heat up, however, and as we moved into the turn, we started to get a lot more activity, especially from the two Mb Stables’ entries. More on that in the next section.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.6F To Go)- At the top of the turn, both General Belle and Good Line were looking to make their move and sought to do so while going to the outside the three frontrunners. They coordinated this well like good teammates, and did not impair the others movement. What was impressive was how easily they made this happen, cutting into the deficit in a flash. Soon enough, and while five wide at this point, Good Line was taking over the lead midway into the turn, and by the time they hit the top of the stretch, she had already pulled away from them by a length. General Belle did essentially the same thing, and was to the inside of Good Line. She, too, was even with the former frontrunners midway into the turn, and had them all passed by the exit to be a clear second. Unfortunately from her perspective, Good Line pulled away from her by half a length. Tightness and Bonkers were still third and fourth but seemed to be in trouble. Eastern Sky was becoming resurgent and looking to split them into the stretch. Oryctodromeus, who had been looking good for a while, looked like she may be tiring here. Killer Angels and She Needsa Brazilian were a length and half behind the back, while Cinis had a good view of all the action.

(Finish- 1:35.12)- In the stretch, all the was left to do was watch Good Line run. He had won the race in the turn, and the only one anyone near her was her stablemate General Belle. Mb Stables certainly enjoyed watching this finish as his two fillies took command of the race. General Belle got within a length of Good Line at the end, but the end result is a 1-2 finish for the trainer who now only needs to win four more graded stakes to get to 400 in his career. For many, that would take a while, but Mb Stables makes it look easy. Congratulations! You have to go back three lengths to the third place Eastern Sky, who was eventually able to find room to the inside of Bonkers. It’s another length to Killer Angels edging Tightness for the fourth place winnings. Next it’s She Needsa Brazilian, then Oryctodromeus and Bonkers, with eventually Cinis getting there as well.

About the Winner: Good Line, trained by Mb Stables, and ridden by I Ortiz Jr., is a three year old filly by Decima, and out of Heckler. She was bred in California by Mb Stables as a first quarter two year old, and they have been together throughout! Congratulations to the connections! The win was her fourth in seven starts, and she has never been outside the top three. It is her second graded victory, and first Grade 1. Her career earnings now sit at $780.000.

Track: Firm
Time: :47²  1:11   1:35   1:58⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 5 – 2 Paid 27.80
$1 Trifecta: 5 – 2 – 9 Paid 397.60

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES