Bella Aurora first black type winner for Carpe Diem

Bella Aurora kicked home strongly to win Saturday’s $100,000 Gin Talking S. at Laurel Park by 1 1/2-lengths, giving Carpe Diem his first stakes winner. The 2-year-old filly was already stakes-placed on the turf at Colonial Downs, and is now 3-1-2 in six starts, with earnings of $141,140 for owner Country Life Farm.

Switching back to the main track for the seven-furlong Gin Talking, Bella Aurora was last in the field of eight after a half-mile when the chestnut filly swept five-wide into the stretch and rolled by the field to win going away in 1:24.24 on the fast track.

“We’ve been so happy with her the last couple weeks,” trainer Michael Trombetta said. “We had six or seven weeks to work with and she’s just trained brilliantly. We’ve been very, very happy with her.” 

“She’s a really nice filly,” added jockey Julien Pimentel. “I was just biding my time all the way around there. I had a ton of horse, and when I took her to the outside she took off.” 

Bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm, Bella Aurora’s dam Street Interest is a half to Grade II winner Golden Spikes, while her third dam is GISW Shared Interest, in turn the dam of GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Cash Run and GISW Forestry.