Eaton's Fasig-Tipton November Dream Team: Bellafina and Donna Veloce

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00:00It's rare in the thoroughbred industry when a plan comes to fruition and is executed perfectly

00:21and in back-to-back years, Kaleem Shaw and his team did that at the Gulfstream two-year-old

00:25and training sale. In 2018, they bought Bella Fina, who was one of the most brilliant performers on

00:32the racetrack in the undertag show that we had that year and went on to be one of the most

00:36accomplished racehorses of her generation. Repeated the same thing in 2019, Kaleem and his team came

00:42to the Gulfstream sale and bought Donna Veloce, magnificent physical individual, grade one

00:47performer on the racetrack. Back-to-back years, Kaleem and his team accomplished what they set

00:52out to do, which was buy the best fillies at the sale and achieve great success on the racetrack

00:57with them. I thought Bella Fina had one of the great two-year-old starts that I've seen a filly

01:03have in a long time. She broke her maiden in the Sorrento, a grade two, wins by more than four lengths.

01:10She comes back, another win in the debutante, then Bella Fina wins two more grade ones and

01:17wins the Santa Anita Oaks. She does it all at six furlongs to a mile and a 16.

01:23Bella Fina dazzling once again and it will be Bella Fina. What a nice performance, a very easy

01:31victory in the Santa Anita Oaks. And you put pedigree together with that kind of physical

01:37and that heart, that's what made her so special. Bella Fina was bred to, I think, a perfect horse

01:45to start her off in Uncle Mo. Well, one thing I think Bella Fina really has that's quite different

01:52is she is a big mare and she was of good size as a two-year-old. Long leg, long body, long type,

02:01looks to turn, but fast as hell. And that's what I love about her. Donna Vellelce had very much

02:11the same sort of criteria for purchase that Bella Fina had. She had the physical, beautiful

02:20neck and shoulder set, the beautiful depth. She has a massive hip and quarter on her. Donna Vellelce,

02:28that first start was really something. I mean, I watched it, I wasn't there, but I remember

02:34watching it thinking, this is not only a TDN rising star, this is a world-class rising star.

02:40And I think we all knew right then she was very special. One thing that sticks out to me when you

02:45watch Donna Vellelce's races is her brilliance, her turn of foot, her acceleration that demonstrated

02:52that in virtually every start that she made, competed in grade ones against the very best.

02:57She had a ton of speed and that will be attractive to buyers really from all over the world.

03:02One thing you will find with the mating of Donna Vellelce to her first stallion,

03:07Justify, you will get a magnificent foal. I think that was a perfect mating for the mare.

03:15Both Bella Fina and Donna Vellelce are in foal to Tisdalaw and I believe Tisdalaw is one of the

03:21most underrated stallion prospects that we've come across in my professional career. He had

03:28the misfortune of being brilliant on the racetrack in 2020 during the COVID year.

03:33His body of work in 2020 was really top-notch. Seeing Tappet, Constitution and Tisdalaw

03:41would be a very prominent sire line, great potential there. Having watched Bella Fina,

03:47having watched Donna Vellelce, both go through their paces on the track,

03:52incredible mares, both extremely good two-year-olds. To sell mares like this really,

03:58really doesn't happen every day. I think that when we put them in front of the public,

04:03that's when they will sell themselves.