Hallie Belle steps up in Modesty Handicap

Improving four-year-old filly Hallie Belle makes her Graded race debut in the G3 Modesty Handicap for fillies and mares over an extended nine furlongs on turf at Arlington Park, USA, on Saturday, 7 July. 

The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro has won four of her seven starts for trainer Michael Stidham and races over further after swooping late to score by a nose in the mile Dahlia Stakes at Laurel Park on 21 April. 

She failed to run her race when trailing home last in the Albert M Stall Memorial Stakes over an extended mile at Fair Grounds in February, but completed a hat-trick of wins with a game neck victory in the mile Pago Hop Stakes at the same course in December. 

Joe Bravo partners Hallie Belle for the second time, having been on board for a Fair Grounds success in November.

The Godolphin filly, with 8st 4lbs, breaks from stall six in the field of 13 that also features G1 American Oaks scorer Daddys Lil Darling and Con Te Patiro, a handicap winner at Royal Ascot last year. 

Michael Stidham commented: “Hallie Belle is doing great. 

“We have found the best way to go with her is to space out her races and wait until she is telling us in her morning work that she is ready to go. 

“She is doing very well and we have been very pleased with her training, so we are expecting a good run.

“She is racing over a little further than she has been before. but we feel that she should handle the distance well. 

“It’s a step into G3 company for the first time and we are going to learn a lot from the race, but we think that she has the class and ability to compete at this level.”