Bella Queen rules in Laurel Park feature
“A true racehorse,” says winning trainer
Frank Vespe
June 6, 2026
Intrepid Mo, the 3-5 favorite in Saturday’s second-level allowance feature, broke well enough but not quite as well as Bella Queen.
Such small details can have significant consequences.
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With Jorge Ruiz up, Bella Queen cleared to the lead, rationed her speed wisely, and had enough in the tank to win by two lengths in 1:37.96 for the flat mile on a fast main track.
“I knew she was super-duper sharp,” said winning trainer Howard Brown. “I just didn’t know she was was sharper than the rest of them.”
Neither did the betting public. Bella Queen paid $12.00 as the 5-1 fourth choice in a field of five. The exacta, with second choice Sheilah’s Warcloud underneath, returned $21.70 for a one-dollar wager.
Bella Queen and Ruiz doled out measured fractions, with the first quarter-mile gone in 24.83 seconds and the half in 48.33. With that rival ahead of her, Intrepid Mo, with Yedsit Hazlewood up for Gary Capuano, found herself sealed at the rail behind the speed, flanked by longshot Estocada.
That configuration didn’t seem to work for Intrepid Mo, and by the quarter pole – with three quarters gone in 1:12.38 – she was largely done and went on to finish fifth and last.
Bella Queen, meanwhile, kicked clear to lead by four lengths at that point and had enough to hold off the late-running Sheilah’s Warcloud by two lengths. Sheilah’s Warcloud was another 8 ½ lengths ahead of Estocada in third.
Bella Queen, a five-year-old Street Boss mare, has won three of 23 career starts with earnings of nearly $200,000. She counts a stakes placing, in last September’s Liberty Bell at Parx Racing, among her 11 additional in-the-money finishes.
“We bought her at the [Fasig-Tipton Midlantic] two-year-old sale three years ago [for $13,000],” Brown said. “It took us a year to get to the races, and she’s been a true racehorse ever since.”
NOTES Jockey Jorge Ruiz won three races Saturday, capped by a victory in a first allowance aboard Acheron for trainer Tim Hills… Apprentice jockey Jose Vargas was off his mounts Saturday, in a concussion protocol after being involved in a scary Friday spill. His mount, Sharmin had to be euthanized…Trainers Greg Wilson and Valora Testerman earned their first wins of the year Saturday, the former with Boss Lily ($5.20) and the latter with Oxford Union ($7.40)…
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