Feel Glorious Seeks Graded Stakes Win in Noble Damsel

The belief that turf races produce large fields with close competitive finishes is surely reflected in the $100,000 Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T) for fillies and mares.

The Sept. 26 mile turf test at Belmont Park attracted nine likely starters (plus one main-track-only entrant) and boasts a highly competitive field that features the top two finishers from a pair of New York turf stakes that were decided by a half-length or less.

The two aforementioned stakes at Saratoga Race Course were the Aug. 14 $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes, where Feel Glorious beat Chaleur by a half-length; and the July 17 $85,000 De La Rose Stakes, which saw Viadera defeat Noor Sahara by a neck.

Those four will clash in a contentious field that also features a grade 3 winner in Getmotherarose and the grade 2-placed Blowout and grade 3-placed Sweet Bye and Bye.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Tango Uniform Racing's Feel Glorious has been on an upward swing in her three 2020 starts, progressing from a third by 5 1/2 lengths in the 1 1/4-mile New York Stakes (G2T) to a third by 1 1/4 lengths in the 1 1/8-mile WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (G3T) to her victory in the 1 1/16-mile Perfect Sting.

As Feel Glorious chases her initial graded stakes win, the Nobel Damsel will bring the Christophe Clement-trained daughter of Bated Breath to an even shorter one-mile distance at which she owns one win in three tries.

"She always runs well, it seems," Clement said. "I think a mile-and-a-sixteenth to a mile-and-an-eighth is probably her best distance. But she's run well at a mile as well, so we're giving it a try."

In the Perfect Sting, Feel Glorious had to bide her time behind horses until she swung out in the stretch and moved past Juddmonte Farms' Chaleur in the final 70 yards.

Chaleur, a homebred Dansili filly, was ahead by a half-length at the eighth pole while making her United States stakes debut for trainer Bill Mott. The Perfect Sting marked her third placing in as many starts—including an allowance-level win—since arriving from Great Britain, where she had been racing for trainer Ralph Beckett.

A large chunk of their competition will come from trainer Chad Brown's barn as the four-time Eclipse Award winner will send out the trio of Viadera, Blowout, and Noor Sahara, all of whom were bred in Europe.

Juddmonte Farms' Viadera, a homebred daughter of Bated Breath, won the De La Rose in her second United States start, moving up from fourth to edge Noor Sahara in a stretch duel between the two stablemates.

Noor Sahara has suffered narrow losses in her two U.S. starts. Owned by Madaket Stables, Siena Farm, Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables, the 4-year-old Lope de Vega filly was third in a June 12 allowance optional claiming race, finishing two noses behind Wegetsdmunnys.

Peter Brant's Blowout is back in stakes company after returning from a 10-month layoff with a neck loss to Joseph Imbesi's Sweet Bye and Bye in an Aug. 26 allowance optional claiming race at Saratoga. Blowout, a daughter of Dansili, placed in four graded stakes during 2019, capped by a second in the Valley View Stakes (G3T) when she lost by a little less than a length.

Entries: Noble Damsel S. (G3T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, September 26, 2020, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:42 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Viadera (GB)	Joel Rosario	124	Chad C. Brown	9/2
2	2Sweet Bye and Bye (PA)	Jose Lezcano	122	Anthony W. Dutrow	7/2
3	3Chaleur (GB)	Javier Castellano	122	William I. Mott	5/1
4	4Blowout (GB)	John R. Velazquez	122	Chad C. Brown	3/1
5	5Atomic Blonde (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	Jorge R. Abreu	15/1
6	6Lemon Zip (ON)	Dylan Davis	122	Niall Saville	30/1
7	7Noor Sahara (IRE)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Chad C. Brown	6/1
8	8Another Broad (MD)	Rider TBA	122	Todd A. Pletcher	8/5
9	9Feel Glorious (GB)	Junior Alvarado	124	Christophe Clement	4/1
10	10Getmotherarose (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	126	Thomas M. Bush	30/1