Significant Form headlines Saturday’s G3 Noble Damsel
ELMONT, N.Y. » Set to make her first start since winning the Grade 2 Ballston Spa on August 24 at Saratoga Race Course, Stephanie Seymour Brant’s Significant Form will look to capture her third graded stakes this year headlining a field of six in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Nobel Damsel for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up on the inner turf going a mile at Belmont Park.
Trained by Chad Brown, the 4-year-old daughter of Creative Cause was purchased for $575,000 at the 2017 Ocala Breeders’ Sale. She graduated on debut by 2 ¼ lengths in August of that year at Saratoga Race Course and followed up with a win in the Grade 3 Miss Grillo at Belmont. Significant Form capped her juvenile season with a fourth-place finish in
the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Significant Form launched her sophomore season with a victory in the Memories of Silver at Belmont and subsequently ran second in the Grade 3 Wonder Again but failed hit the board in her next three starts to close out 2018.
After kicking off her 2019 campaign with a victory in the Grade 3 Intercontinental going seven furlongs on the Belmont turf in June, Significant Form turned back in distance to 5 ½ furlongs for the Caress in July at Saratoga in which she ran fifth before stretching back out to win the 1 1/16mile Ballston Spa, while picking up a career high 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
Significant Form has recorded three works at Saratoga since that win, including a four furlong breeze in 49.79 seconds on Saturday on the Oklahoma training track.
Whit Beckman, assistant to Brown, said he expects her to run to the best of her ability on Saturday.
“Since she got here she’s been in good form and shown good energy,” said Beckman. “She did the majority of her preparation for this race in Saratoga, but we know she likes the surface and has always performed well here, especially at a mile to a mile and sixteenth at Belmont.”
Significant Form will depart from post 5 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.
Also entering from the Brown barn is Stella di Camelot for owners Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Kent Spellman, and Bethlehem Stables.
The 4-year-old Irish-bred Camelot filly made her first seven starts in France most notably winning an allowance race at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse in May of 2018 before being purchased and transferred to Brown.
Stella di Camelot captured the Pebbles at Belmont in October 2018 in her North American debut and went to finish fifth in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs to close out her sophomore season.
She opened her 2019 campaign with a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Intercontinental and followed up with another third-place effort in the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose on August 3 at Saratoga.
“She looks to be in good shape,” said Beckman. “In her last start, it looked like she had a bit of a difficult trip. Since then, all reports are that she’s been training well so hopefully she can work out a good trip and run to her top level.”
Drawing post 2, Stella di Camelot will be ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott entered Capla Temptress for Juddmonte Farms.
The 4-year-old Irishbred daughter of Lope de Vega has one win from four starts this year, capturing the Just a Kiss in July at Delaware Park before going on to finish second to Got Stormy in the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose. With two wins from seven starts at the distance, Capla Temptress will look to win her first race at Belmont in her fourth attempt.
Capla Temptress will depart from post 4 with Jose Lezcano in the irons.
Rounding out the field is Bellavais (Dylan Davis, post 1) for trainer Todd Pletcher and Bortolazzo Stable; Valedictorian (Joe Bravo, post 6) for conditioner Kelly Breen and Epic Racing; and Betty F (Kendrick Carmouche, post 3) for trainer Tom Morley and owner Charles Fox.
The Noble Damsel is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 11-race card, which also includes the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap in Race 10. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.