Noble Damsel tops Saturday card at Aqueduct

By NY Hot List Staff | Friday, September 22, 2023

With the major New York Breeders’ Cup prep races set to begin next week, the featured race at Aqueduct this weekend will be Saturday’s Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes. The mile turf stakes that is for fillies and mares attracted a field of seven plus five distaff runners on the main track only list. To no one’s surprise, of the seven in the main body of the race, three are trained by Chad Brown.

The $150,000 Noble Damsel (G3) at Aqueduct, Saturday, Race 7, 4:16 pm EDT.

(5) Fluffy Socks is one of the Chad Brown runners. She ran twice at Saratoga with a fifth in the Diana (G1) followed by a second in the Ballston Spa (G2) when a late closing rally fell a head short of victory. (6) Gina Romantica is also from the Brown barn. In her two starts this year she was fourth in the Eatontown (G3) at Monmouth Park and then travelled to Colonial Downs where she was second in the Beverly D (G1). (3) Not So Close prefers to race on the lead which she did last month at Saratoga to win a mile turf allowance for trainer Norm Casse who had a red-hot barn at the Spa. (4) Malavath has several classy past starts in Europe and America including a pair of excellent races in the Breeders’ Cup. She is a win contender if she can get back to her best efforts.

Rain is expected on Saturday and if the race comes off the turf here is a ranking of the fillies and mares that are entered for Main Track Only: (10) Balpool, (11) Movie Moxie, (9) Venti Valentine, (8) Battle Bling, and (12) Bustin Bay.

The rest of the NY Hot List picks and the Special Saturday Pick 3 are available free of charge at this website.