“Equithrive is a unique product that is extremely effective in managing the chronic inflammation associated with competition and training.” - Greg Fox, DVM
Owner Kaleem Shah congratulates trainer Simon Callaghan (right) after Bellafina wins the Del Mar Debutante (Gr1) on September 1, 2018, at Del Mar.
Bill Heller Eclipse Sportswire
TRAINER OF THE QUARTER
S IM O N C A L LA G H AN The Equithrive Trainer of the Quarter has been won by Simon Callaghan.Callaghan and his team will receive a selection of Equithrive’s clinically proven products for the barn.
lmost as if it were her New Year’s resolution to atone for her fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly at Churchill Downs, November 2, Kaleem Shah’s three-year-old filly Bellafina delivered a jaw-dropping, 8 ½ length victory in the Gr2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita, January 6, confirming her trainer Simon Callaghan’s
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faith in her. “It was a relief more than anything,” Callaghan said. “I knew in my mind that the Breeders’ Cup wasn’t her race. For some reason, she didn’t run her “A” race. You can’t win a Breeders’ Cup race without an “A” performance.” Bellafina has had several A’s, posting four victories in her first six starts, including two Gr1 stakes and a pair of Gr2’s. “We’ve always felt from Day 1 that she could be potentially really good,” Callaghan said. “She’s the best filly I’ve trained.” With her resounding victory in her three-year-old debut, she is back on track to tackle the Gr1 Santa Anita Oaks and the Gr1 Kentucky Oaks as Callaghan continues to prosper at the young training age of 35. His age is misleading. He has been living with horses his entire life—the son of a successful trainer growing up in the unique horse hub of Newmarket,
England. “By the time I was 12, I knew what I wanted to do,” Callaghan said. “I was really passionate about it. It’s very special to see a horse out there trying, running in a race.” His father, Neville, trained for 37 years before retiring in 2007. “He taught me not to cut any corner,” Callaghan said. “Feed them well. Get good help. He took a lot of pride in how his horses looked.” After working for trainer Richard Hannon in England, Callaghan got two gigs with Todd Pletcher in America. “He’s extremely dedicated, very hard-working,” Callaghan said. “His horses looked fantastic. Obviously, he’s a very intelligent man. He just doesn’t miss anything. His attention to detail is second to none.” Callaghan opened his own stable in England at the age of 24, but soon set his sights on America. “One of my clients, Anthony Ramsden, pitched the idea of me