Belmont at Big A: Edict makes U.S. debut in Noble Damsel
Photo:
Jason Moran / Eclipse Sportswire
Edict is set for her stateside debut in Saturday’s Grade 3,
$175,000 Noble Damsel, a one-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares 3 and
up at Belmont at the Big A.
The 4-year-old Il Campione bay owned by John Behrendt will
make her first start in the care of trainer David Donk and outside her native
Argentina. Edict’s last two efforts were Group 1 victories at San Isidro for
conditioner Eduardo Accosano, including the Enrique Acebal in November and Copa
de Plata Roberto Vázquez Mansilla Internacional one month later.
Click here for Belmont at Aqueduct entries and results.
Edict, who was named Argentina’s champion 3-year-old filly
in 2023, has worked extensively in New York since June to prepare for her
stateside bow. She will exit post 4 in rein to José Gómez carrying a field-high
126 pounds.
“She’s trained well. She has acclimated well. She is a very
smart, intelligent filly,” said Donk. “It has been a good learning curve for
her. She has breezed quite well. Johnny (Velázquez) breezed her once at
Saratoga from the gate and was quite happy with her.”
Edict’s top-flight wins came at 1 1/4 miles, but Donk said
cutting her back to one mile is ideal for long-term plans.
“The idea is to not run her too far first out. The plan at
the moment has been that she gets to run twice or three times but probably
twice this year and let her continue to mature and develop,” Donk said. “I’d
love to see her be a quality filly long term here.”
Behrendt and Donk are no strangers to success as a team,
having won the 1998 Pilgrim (G3) at Belmont Park and Generous (G3) at Hollywood
Park with eventual New York horse of the year Incurable Optimist.
“I had John and (wife) Theresa Behrendt’s first horses when
I went out on my own after working for Woody (Stephens). It has been a long and
loyal friendship. We’ve had success over the years, but more importantly it is
their loyalty as clients,” Donk said. “It is really fun to have a horse of this
quality from John’s operation in Argentina.”
Behrendt is a part-owner of Edict’s sire, whose name Il
Campione is fitting because it means the champion in Italian, and he has been
Argentina’s leading sire the past two years.
Also intriguing is that Didia, winner of the New York (G1) in
June at the Belmont Stakes racing festival, had won the same Argentine Group 1s
in 2021 before launching a strong U.S. campaign for trainer Ignacio Correas.
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, who took
this event five consecutive years from 2016 to 2020 and again last year in an
off-the-turf match race, will be represented by Midnight Mile in post 9 with
122 pounds including Vincent Cheminaud), Saffron Moon in 8 carrying 122 with Eric
Cancel and Alluring Angel in 5 carrying 122 with Manny Franco.
Ireland-bred Midnight Mile finished second in her trio of
efforts for Brown, including in listed one-mile turf events at Aqueduct in the
Plenty of Grace in April and the Perfect Sting in July. She most recently was
in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on Aug. 14 at Saratoga.
The 4-year-old No Nay Never bay came from a campaign in
Great Britain for conditioner Richard Fahey, highlighted by a win in the Oh So
Sharp (G3) in October 2022 at Newmarket. After that score she made a stateside
appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and advanced from last to
fourth in the event won by Meditate.
Saffron Moon returns from a more than nine-month layoff
dating to a runner-up finish in the Cardinal (G3) in November at Churchill
Downs. The 5-year-old Malibu Moon dark bay entered that race off a 2 3/4-length
allowance win in October at Keeneland that earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure,
according to Daily Racing Form, matching her career best earned in an
eight-length maiden romp going one mile there in April 2022.
Alluring Angel won her first start for Brown in a local,
one-mile, optional claimer in June. The Fastnet Rock bay was off slowly,
traveling last of seven before rallying to a three-quarter-length victory over
next-out victor and re-opposing Breath Away.
Alluring Angel made one effort for trainer Mike Maker before
the last-out victory, winning a local 1 1/8-mile allowance by a head in
November. She made her five prior starts for conditioner Jorge Abreu including
stakes placings as a juvenile in the Untapable at Kentucky Downs and Tepin at
the Big A.
Grade 3-placed Breath Away in post 6 carrying 122 pounds
with Dylan Davis looks to be the sixth winner in the event for trainer
Christophe Clément, which would equal Brown’s record.
The 4-year-old Bated Breath dark bay enters from a rallying
optional-claiming victory by a neck over Grade 3 winner Tax Implications going
one mile over good Spa turf Aug. 16. Breath Away’s only graded-stakes attempt
was a third in the one-mile Autumn Miss (G3) in November at Santa Anita, and Clément
said it is time for another chance.
“Her last race was a very good race,” Clément said. “She’s
doing well, and it’s a bit ambitious, but it’s the right time of year to be
ambitious.”
Breath Away boasts a consistent 10: 3-4-1 ledger that
includes a listed Sanibel Island triumph in April 2023 at Gulfstream
Park.
Dual Grade 2-placed Kentucky homebred Ocean Club, post 1,
124 pounds, Frankie Dettori, stretches in distance after a rallying third in
the 6 1/2-furlong Ladies Turf Sprint (G2) on Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs. Trained
by Jack Sisterson, the 4-year-old Curlin chestnut had made 11 consecutive
starts at one mile or more, including a win in the 1 1/16-mile Monroe in May at
Gulfstream Park.
The Monroe victory, which was for trainer Bethany
Baumgardner, earned a career-best 91 Beyer and added to Gulfstream success in
the Martha Washington going the same distance on Tapeta last June for
conditioner Thomas Proctor.
Rounding out the field are Group 3 winner Elounda Queen, 7,
Luis Rivera Jr., 122, for dual Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox; dual graded-stakes-placed
Five Towns, 2, Jorge Ruiz, 124, for trainer Graham Motion; and stakes winner
Poca Mucha, 3, Kendrick Carmouche, 124, for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Movie Moxy
and Signal From Noise are entered for the main track only.
The Noble Damsel is slated as race 8 at 4:11 p.m. EDT on
Saturday’s 11-race card. The first post is 12:35 p.m.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Ocean Club Curlin |
5.89 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Five Towns Lord Kanaloa |
5.87 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Poca Mucha Tourist |
5.46 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Edict Il Campione |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Next Race |
||||||
| 5 |
|
Alluring Angel Fastnet Rock |
4.45 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Breath Away Bated Breath |
4.79 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Elounda Queen Australia |
4.79 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 8 |
|
Saffron Moon Malibu Moon |
4.12 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 9 |
|
Midnight Mile No Nay Never |
5.12 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 10 |
|
Movie Moxy Street Sense |
4.12 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 11 |
|
Signal From Noise Arrogate |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
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