Significant Form Scores by Daylight in Noble Damsel

Stephanie Seymour Brant's Significant Form racked up a fourth graded stakes win Sept. 21 in the $200,000 Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park under a perfectly timed ride by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

The victory put Velazquez on even terms with fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey for most North American graded stakes victories with 660.

Significant Form arrived at the one-mile event for fillies and mares over the Widener turf course off a win in the Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course.

Breaking from post 5, the gray or roan daughter of Creative Cause  settled in fourth, three paths to the outside of the tightly bunched six-horse field. Multiple graded stakes winner Valedictorian controlled the tempo through an opening quarter-mile in :23.67 on the firm turf.

Valedictorian maintained her 1 1/2-length advantage through the half-mile in :46.78 while Significant Form moved into second, with 39-1 longshot Betty F to her inside around the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Significant Form responded when receiving her cue from Velazquez and took the lead, with fellow Chad Brown trainee Stella di Camelot looming with a late bid on the outside.

Significant Form, full of run, bested her stablemate by 2 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:33.48. Pacesetter Valedictorian was another 3 1/2 lengths back in third. Bellavais, Capla Temptress, and Betty F completed the order of finish.

"She was on the outside today, and I was worried she was going to be a little bit rank. She actually handled it pretty well," said Velazquez, who also piloted Significant Form to the Ballston Spa win. "I tried to cover her up a little bit around the turn with Joe Bravo (Valedictorian) riding close to the fence. I was kind of reeling in and out of there, and I wanted to keep the competition behind him riding there.

"Right before the quarter pole, I just asked her to go, and she ran off," he added. "It's nice to ride these kind of horses. They respond when you ask them, and I have to thank Chad for the opportunity. These are the type of horses that keep you coming back to the track."

"Once she found that distance, she's really effective," said Whit Beckman, assistant to Brown. "She's had a great year and has come back as a really nice 4-year-old. Once you get her at her optimal distance and get her in her rhythm and a cycle, she shows up for you."

Significant Form won the Miss Grillo Stakes (G3T) over Belmont's inner turf course as a 2-year-old. As a 3-year-old, she was an emphatic 6 1/4-length winner of the Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Significant Form returned $4.60 to win and cashed $110,000, increasing her earnings to $804,865. Her record is 5-1-0 from 12 starts.

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones, Significant Form is out of the Harlan's Holiday broodmare Church by the Sea, who also produced graded stakes winner Hay Dakota. She was a $575,000 purchase by White Birch Farm from the consignment of Eddie Woods to the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.