SUNSHINE MILLIONS DISTAFF S. ( ), Gulfstream Park , January 19, 2013 , $300,000 Guaranteed , value of race $300,000 , 4 yo's & up , 1 1/8 miles , 1:52.28 Dirt SY .

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.