Some horses are born with golden spoons or the equivalent (golden bits?) in their mouths. Bella Ballerina would seem to be one such. Sired by a Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner out of a Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1)-producing dam and representing the same connections that won the Oaks with her half sister Pretty Mischievous in 2023, Bella Ballerina came into the world with every possible advantage. Being a horse, she does not blush for it. She simply does what a Thoroughbred is born to do: run. And so far, she has not put a foot wrong. Following a game score in the Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra (USA-G2) Stakes—a race also won by Pretty Mischievous—she is now three-for-three and has earned US$481,525 for owner Godolphin and trainer Brendan Walsh.
Bella Ballerina is more lightly raced than was Pretty Mischievous at this stage of her career, having made three starts to her sister’s five. Part of this may reflect the difference in their sires, as the stock of Into Mischief (sire of Pretty Mischievous) tend to be earlier developing than those of Bella Ballerina’s sire, Street Sense. To be sure, Street Sense was a champion juvenile before landing the 2007 Kentucky Derby, and his wins included the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (USA-G1) by a record 10 lengths. He also has a respectable record of siring winning juveniles, with nearly 24 percent of his winners earning their first victories as 2-year-olds. Nevertheless, his runners usually wait until at least the last months of their 2-year-old seasons to start making headway, in part because they on average need more distance than the Into Mischiefs. Into Mischief is a six-time champion juvenile sire (according to The Blood-Horse) for good reason, with almost 33 percent of his winners making their first scores at 2, and Pretty Mischief was 3-for-4 at that age with a win in the Untapable Stakes to her credit.
Still, although Bella Ballerina made but two starts at 2, she made them count, taking a Keeneland maiden special weight on October 5, 2025, and the Golden Rod Stakes (USA-G2) (a race in which Pretty Mischievous finished third in 2022) on November 29. It is worth remembering that the sisters’ dam, Pretty City Dancer, was also a good juvenile, dead-heating for the 2016 Spinaway Stakes (USA-G1), though she failed to progress from that victory and did not win again in seven starts as a 3-year-old. Given that Pretty City Dancer is a Tapit half sister to Lear’s Princess (by Lear Fan), who upset Rags to Riches in the 2007 Gazelle Stakes (USA-G1), her failure to develop further had to be a disappointment, especially given that her dam Pretty City (by Carson City) is a half sister to 1988 Bernard Baruch Handicap (USA-G1) winner My Big Boy.
As Bella Ballerina continues on the Fair Grounds path along the Lily Lane to the Kentucky Oaks—she will likely be seen next in the Fair Grounds Oaks, a race in which Pretty Mischievous finished second—the question now is how much upside she has. On paper, it should be quite a bit given her ancestry. Her Equibase figures are all in the upper 80s, however, showing virtually no progression. That might be good enough against this year’s Eastern filly division, which frankly looks like a rather weak bunch, but the California girls have posted figures more in line with previous years’ Oaks winners and as a group seem to be several lengths better than what Bella Ballerina has been facing. Blood may tell when the lilies are awarded on May 1, but another adage may prove out in the heat of competition: pretty is as pretty does.
Bella Ballerina is more lightly raced than was Pretty Mischievous at this stage of her career, having made three starts to her sister’s five. Part of this may reflect the difference in their sires, as the stock of Into Mischief (sire of Pretty Mischievous) tend to be earlier developing than those of Bella Ballerina’s sire, Street Sense. To be sure, Street Sense was a champion juvenile before landing the 2007 Kentucky Derby, and his wins included the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (USA-G1) by a record 10 lengths. He also has a respectable record of siring winning juveniles, with nearly 24 percent of his winners earning their first victories as 2-year-olds. Nevertheless, his runners usually wait until at least the last months of their 2-year-old seasons to start making headway, in part because they on average need more distance than the Into Mischiefs. Into Mischief is a six-time champion juvenile sire (according to The Blood-Horse) for good reason, with almost 33 percent of his winners making their first scores at 2, and Pretty Mischief was 3-for-4 at that age with a win in the Untapable Stakes to her credit.
Still, although Bella Ballerina made but two starts at 2, she made them count, taking a Keeneland maiden special weight on October 5, 2025, and the Golden Rod Stakes (USA-G2) (a race in which Pretty Mischievous finished third in 2022) on November 29. It is worth remembering that the sisters’ dam, Pretty City Dancer, was also a good juvenile, dead-heating for the 2016 Spinaway Stakes (USA-G1), though she failed to progress from that victory and did not win again in seven starts as a 3-year-old. Given that Pretty City Dancer is a Tapit half sister to Lear’s Princess (by Lear Fan), who upset Rags to Riches in the 2007 Gazelle Stakes (USA-G1), her failure to develop further had to be a disappointment, especially given that her dam Pretty City (by Carson City) is a half sister to 1988 Bernard Baruch Handicap (USA-G1) winner My Big Boy.
As Bella Ballerina continues on the Fair Grounds path along the Lily Lane to the Kentucky Oaks—she will likely be seen next in the Fair Grounds Oaks, a race in which Pretty Mischievous finished second—the question now is how much upside she has. On paper, it should be quite a bit given her ancestry. Her Equibase figures are all in the upper 80s, however, showing virtually no progression. That might be good enough against this year’s Eastern filly division, which frankly looks like a rather weak bunch, but the California girls have posted figures more in line with previous years’ Oaks winners and as a group seem to be several lengths better than what Bella Ballerina has been facing. Blood may tell when the lilies are awarded on May 1, but another adage may prove out in the heat of competition: pretty is as pretty does.
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