Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Contact: Jenny Kellner
vkellner@nyrainc.com
Julie's Love looks to get back on winning track in Noble Damsel
ELMONT. N.Y. - Returning to the scene of her most recent triumph, the Graham Motion-trained Julie's Love looks to find her way back to the winner's circle at Belmont Park on Saturday when she faces a field of eight other fillies and mares in the Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel for turf fillies and mares.
The one-mile Noble Damsel will be run as race 7 on the 10-race card, immediately preceding the Grade 2, $500,000 Sands Point for 3-year-old turf fillies.
Julie's Love, who had a winning trip in the Owsley Stakes in May 2013 at Belmont, has made only one start as a 6-year-old, finishing fifth in the Powder Break Stakes on April 5 at Gulfstream Park. Given another break following that effort, Julie's Love returned to training in August over the all-weather surface at the Fair Hill Training Center and has turned in a series of steady works, most recently covering six furlongs in 1:15 on September 6.
"She's run well at Belmont at that distance before, and the race is an intriguing option for us," said Motion of the Ad Valorem mare, who carries the colors of celebrity chef Bobby Flay. "We're hoping this race will be something we can build on for the rest of the fall."
Jose Ortiz will be aboard Julie's Love, who drew post position 7 and was listed at 10-1 on the morning line.
Trainer Christophe Clement will be represented by the duo of Love Train and Annecdote as he tries for his fifth victory in the Noble Damsel, having last won the race in 2012 with Naples Bay.
Love Train, who is 2-for-2 since joining Clement's stable, will be making her stakes debut in the Noble Damsel. Previously trained by Steve Klesaris, the 4-year-old Tapit filly won a six-furlong first-level allowance on May 26 and returned six weeks later to score a front-running optional claiming win at the Noble Damsel distance.
Annecdote will be making her first North American start in the Noble Damsel, having compiled a record of 5-1-1 from 13 starts in England, including a victory in the Group 3 Betfred TV Oak Tree Stakes last August at Goodwood. The 4-year-old Lucky Story filly also scored in the Sandringham Handicap at Ascot last June.
"Love Train was very impressive winning her last for us and she's trained very well since," said Christophe Lorieul, Clement's assistant. "Annecdote is a bit of an unknown as she's only been with us a short time, but it's worth a shot."
Joel Rosario will ride Love Train, 6-1 on the morning line, from post position 4.
Irad Ortiz, Jr., will be aboard Annecdote, the lukewarm 7-2 morning-line favorite from post position 6 over Tokyo Time (4-1).
Devilish Love will be making her first start in graded stakes company on Saturday. The Not For Love filly brings a three-race winning streak - all at a mile - into the race, including an allowance win and an optional claiming victory at the recently concluded meet at Saratoga Race Course. The Tony Dutrow trainee finished fourth in the Malvern Rose at Presque Isle Downs last year in her only other stakes start.
At 6-1 on the morning line, Devilish Love will leave from post position 3.
Completing the field, from the rail out, are Byrama, eighth in the Intercontinental on June 8 last time out; Alaura Michele, most recently seventh in the De La Rose; the Shug McGaughey-trained Tokyo Time, winner of her two most recent starts; Grade 3 Eatontown winner Medea, seventh in the Grade 3 Matchmaker on July 27, and Baffle Me, fourth in the De La Rose.
The field for the Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel:
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