Under the Radar: Bell's Shoes

All of the Kentucky Oaks talk has been about Blind Luck and Christine Daae, however there is a filly that is coming under the radar. No she hasn't won a stakes race yet, but she could be one of the favorites for the Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn. Yes it took her six races to break her maiden, but she finished third in the Martha Washington Stakes. She is the Mineshaft filly Bell's Shoes, and happens to be from a family that adores Oaklawn.

Bell's Shoes is out of the King of Kings mare Isabell's Shoes, a stakes winner in her own right (Martha Washington back in 2005, then finished fifth in the Honeybee behind future BC Distaff winner Round Pond). Isabell is out of the Phone Trick mare Pink Shoes (also a stakes winner, Gowell Stakes and Martha Washington Stakes), thus making her a half sister to stakes winners Wildcat Shoes, and Prom Shoes. Of course the latter being G2 placed (2nd in the 07 Peter Pan Stakes) and the winner of 2 stakes at Oaklawn (the Fifth Season Stakes in 08 and last year's Essex Handicap. He finished third in this year's Essex and just ran in this year's G3 Razorback Handicap).

It did take Bell's Shoes a while to break her maiden, but she finished out of the top three only once (even then she still took home a check as she finished fifth). The Martha Washington was her first try against stakes company, and she finished third behind Decelerator and Eva Giselle. She went off as the second longest shot and was only beaten by 2 ¼ lengths, finishing in front of Shotgun Gulch who won the prep for the Martha Washington. Could Bell's Shoes upset Blind Luck in the Oaks? She has to do well in the Honeybee and in the Fantasy to have a chance to Run for the Lilies. Although, if the current history of the Fantasy holds up, she has a great shot of doing so (two of the last three winners of this prep are Eight Belles and Rachel Alexandra, also a winner of this race happens to be Round Pond). Only time will tell weather or not she will follow in the footsteps of great horses who have run at Oaklawn.