The Noble Damsel
A lot of people will be watching Parx and The Pensylvania Derby on Saturday. I will be as well bit I will be more focused wagering on The Noble Damsel at Aqueduct where I think a filly who will be a bit overlooked and a nice price is sitting on a big race.
This is an important time of the year to be paying attention to the stake races and workouts of the horses who are pointing to the Breeders’ Cup. Now is when you can identify some horses who are on the improve and equally important on the decline. This can be a big help that might not be so visible in the traditional past performances come the big event in early November which is right around the corner.
Chad Brown has three horses in The Noble Damsel. All three can win and all three will take money even Gerrymander who is trying the grass. Not So Close will also take money for Norm Casse. That leaves the filly I lean to at maybe 3rd, 4th, or even 5th choice.
Malavath was good enough to run second back in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar. She’s raced competitively at the Group 1 and 2 levels both here and abroad and has been competitive against the boys including a better than it looked 5th against Modern Games in The Breeders’ Cup Mile last year at Keeneland. She has run two subpar races since moving to the Christophe Clement barn.
While I have no excuse for the last two races, I am willing to overlook them as I have seen her bring a lot more to the table than what she showed so far this year. Clement has not stopped on her but regrouped since June and comes back in a tough spot. I view that as a sign of confidence and a potential return to her better form. I have no question that her best races put her right square in the thick of this race.
With the right set up this filly can really finish, and I think she may get that scenario here. She has also caught her fair share of boggy type courses and may prefer a firmer course she may see on Saturday.
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