Eight 3-year-old fillies go in the Comely on Saturday at Aqueduct
By NY Hot List staff | Friday, November 24, 2023
The Grade 3, $200,000 Comely drew a field of eight 3-year-old fillies in the featured race on Saturday at Aqueduct. The race was named in honor of the filly Comely, who, in a remarkable performance as a two-year-old, defeated older male horses in winning the first running of the Fall Highweight Handicap in 1914.
The 78th running of this nine-furlong stake race features three graded stakes winners in Defining Purpose, Julia Shining, and Honor D Lady. Defining Purpose is a grey daughter of Cross Traffic with earnings of more than $833,000 that will be making her second start at the Big A and at today’s distance.
“The Comely is an ideal spot for her. She ran well there (Aqueduct) last time, the winner looks like a pretty special filly,” McPeek said. “We were thrilled to see her get the Grade 1 win at Keeneland and hopefully she can add this to her resume.”
The $200,000 Comely (G3) at Aqueduct, Saturday, Race 9, 3:43 pm EST.
(7) Defining Purpose has been training in New York for Kenny McPeek. Last time out she was second in the Mother Goose (G2) behind the talented Xigera after a couple of Grade 1 starts in the Cotillion and the Alabama. In July she won the Indiana Oaks (G3) and is a Grade 1 winner of the Ashland. (8) Raging Sea earned the best speed figure of her career when she won an allowance at Keeneland in October on a sloppy track going the nine-furlong distance. (3) Honor D Lady won the Remington Park Oaks (G3) in September which was clearly the best performance of her career when she returned to the dirt. (4) Just Katherine had a few top three finishes with competitive speed figures and then tried the Cotillion on that very sloppy track.
The rest of the NY Hot List picks and the Special Saturday Pick 3 are available free of charge at this website.