LA TROIENNE S. (gr. II ), Churchill Downs , May 03, 2013 , $300,000 Added , value of race $335,100 , 4 yo's & up , 1 1/16 miles , 1:42.09 Dirt FT .

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who likes to breeze top horses together, tipped his hand a bit April 27 when he worked Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I) winner Verrazano with 6-year-old mare Authenticity, who had not won a stakes race.

That all changed May 3 when Authenticity held off determined grade I winner On Fire Baby in the Churchill Downs stretch to win the $335,100 La Troienne Stakes (gr. II) in stakes record time of 1:42.09 on the fast main track. Shadow Cast held the previous stakes record of 1:42.43 set in 2005.

Padua Stables’ Authenticity, by Quiet American—Court of Appeal, by Deputy Minister, didn’t reach the track until age 4 and missed the entire 2012 season because of injury (see Winner’s Circle, page 82). Also coming back from injury was jockey John Velazquez who in just his second start since suffering a fractured rib and wrist injury in an April 7 spill at Aqueduct won the La Troienne.

“I took a position. The other horse (On Fire Baby) was right there next to me,” Velazquez said. “She was going nice and easy. I just left her alone and went from there. I asked her to run, and she ran and the other horse was coming at me. I wasn’t sure, but every time the other horse came to her, she gave another spurt.”

Things would not go as well for Authenticity’s workmate Verrazano, who came up empty in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and finished 14th under Velazquez.

Bred in Kentucky by William Shively’s Dixiana Stables, Authenticity is the first foal to race out of unraced Court of Appeal, a half sister to stakes winner Statement, by Seattle Slew. Dixiana purchased Court of Appeal for $335,000 at the 2006 Keeneland November breeding stock sale and later sold her at the 2008 edition of that sale, in foal to Corinthian, for $360,000 to Woodland Farm.

Dixiana Stables consigned Authenticity to the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale where Satish Sanan’s Padua Stables landed her for $250,000.

Quiet American is the sire of 57 stakes winners. The now-pensioned 27-year-old son of Fappiano resides at Darley, near Lexington.—F.A.

RAMPART S. (gr. III ), Gulfstream Park , March 30, 2013 , $150,000 Guaranteed , value of race $150,000 , 4 yo's & up , 1 1/8 miles , 1:50.06 Dirt FT .

Michael Tabor’s Ciao Bella landed her initial stakes score by cutting back in distance and switching back to the main track after knocking around with some of the best older fillies and mares on the turf circuit at the end of 2012. The victory would come March 30 at Gulfstream Park with a front-running performance in the nine-furlong Rampart Stakes (gr. III) as the 2-5 favorite.

The victory helped jockey John Velazquez kick off a memorable day during the Besilu Stables Florida Derby card. The Hall of Fame rider would win five races on the program including the feature aboard Orb.

Tabor’s Ciao Bella was able to set very soft early fractions of :49.20 and 1:13.07 in the Rampart on her way to a 41/2-length victory under 117 pounds.

“We knew there wasn’t a lot of speed in there except for Successful Song,” said Velazquez. “It seemed like she (Successful Song) didn’t want to be on the lead, so it was pretty easy.” Successful Song would finish third behind runner-up Authenticity.

“We were also looking at a race at Aqueduct for Ciao Bella (Ruffian Handicap, gr. II, April 6),” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “It was a tough call. I talked it over with Mr. Tabor and decided to keep her here. She was two-for-two over the main track.”

Ciao Bella was bred by Chelston, an entity of the Coolmore operation in which Tabor is a major player. Ciao Bella is the fifth foal out of Bella Bellucci, a three-time stakes winner for Tabor in 2001-02 after he bought her for $925,000 out of the 2001 Fasig-Tipton Florida select sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Bella Bellucci, bred in Kentucky by Nicholas Lotz, is a full sister to Kurofune, champion 3-year-old colt in Japan in 2001 and winner of the Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-I). French Blue, a full brother to both, was sold as a weanling in 2006 for $2,627,400 to Darley Japan from Northern Farm.

Stakes-winning second dam Blue Avenue is a half sister to two-time grade I winner Brought to Mind.

Bella Bellucci died in 2009.

Ciao Bella is a daughter of two-time leading sire Giant’s Causeway. The sire of 134 stakes winners, Giant’s Causeway stands at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. His 2013 fee is $85,000.—E.H.