Belmont at Big A: Edict makes U.S. debut in Noble Damsel

Edict is set for her stateside debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Noble Damsel, a one-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares 3 and up at Belmont at the Big A.

The 4-year-old Il Campione bay owned by John Behrendt will make her first start in the care of trainer David Donk and outside her native Argentina. Edict’s last two efforts were Group 1 victories at San Isidro for conditioner Eduardo Accosano, including the Enrique Acebal in November and Copa de Plata Roberto Vázquez Mansilla Internacional one month later.

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Edict, who was named Argentina’s champion 3-year-old filly in 2023, has worked extensively in New York since June to prepare for her stateside bow. She will exit post 4 in rein to José Gómez carrying a field-high 126 pounds. 

“She’s trained well. She has acclimated well. She is a very smart, intelligent filly,” said Donk. “It has been a good learning curve for her. She has breezed quite well. Johnny (Velázquez) breezed her once at Saratoga from the gate and was quite happy with her.” 

Edict’s top-flight wins came at 1 1/4 miles, but Donk said cutting her back to one mile is ideal for long-term plans. 

“The idea is to not run her too far first out. The plan at the moment has been that she gets to run twice or three times but probably twice this year and let her continue to mature and develop,” Donk said. “I’d love to see her be a quality filly long term here.”  

Behrendt and Donk are no strangers to success as a team, having won the 1998 Pilgrim (G3) at Belmont Park and Generous (G3) at Hollywood Park with eventual New York horse of the year Incurable Optimist. 

“I had John and (wife) Theresa Behrendt’s first horses when I went out on my own after working for Woody (Stephens). It has been a long and loyal friendship. We’ve had success over the years, but more importantly it is their loyalty as clients,” Donk said. “It is really fun to have a horse of this quality from John’s operation in Argentina.” 

Behrendt is a part-owner of Edict’s sire, whose name Il Campione is fitting because it means the champion in Italian, and he has been Argentina’s leading sire the past two years. 

Also intriguing is that Didia, winner of the New York (G1) in June at the Belmont Stakes racing festival, had won the same Argentine Group 1s in 2021 before launching a strong U.S. campaign for trainer Ignacio Correas.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, who took this event five consecutive years from 2016 to 2020 and again last year in an off-the-turf match race, will be represented by Midnight Mile in post 9 with 122 pounds including Vincent Cheminaud), Saffron Moon in 8 carrying 122 with Eric Cancel and Alluring Angel in 5 carrying 122 with Manny Franco.

Ireland-bred Midnight Mile finished second in her trio of efforts for Brown, including in listed one-mile turf events at Aqueduct in the Plenty of Grace in April and the Perfect Sting in July. She most recently was in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on Aug. 14 at Saratoga. 

The 4-year-old No Nay Never bay came from a campaign in Great Britain for conditioner Richard Fahey, highlighted by a win in the Oh So Sharp (G3) in October 2022 at Newmarket. After that score she made a stateside appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and advanced from last to fourth in the event won by Meditate. 

Saffron Moon returns from a more than nine-month layoff dating to a runner-up finish in the Cardinal (G3) in November at Churchill Downs. The 5-year-old Malibu Moon dark bay entered that race off a 2 3/4-length allowance win in October at Keeneland that earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, matching her career best earned in an eight-length maiden romp going one mile there in April 2022. 

Alluring Angel won her first start for Brown in a local, one-mile, optional claimer in June. The Fastnet Rock bay was off slowly, traveling last of seven before rallying to a three-quarter-length victory over next-out victor and re-opposing Breath Away. 

Alluring Angel made one effort for trainer Mike Maker before the last-out victory, winning a local 1 1/8-mile allowance by a head in November. She made her five prior starts for conditioner Jorge Abreu including stakes placings as a juvenile in the Untapable at Kentucky Downs and Tepin at the Big A.

Grade 3-placed Breath Away in post 6 carrying 122 pounds with Dylan Davis looks to be the sixth winner in the event for trainer Christophe Clément, which would equal Brown’s record. 

The 4-year-old Bated Breath dark bay enters from a rallying optional-claiming victory by a neck over Grade 3 winner Tax Implications going one mile over good Spa turf Aug. 16. Breath Away’s only graded-stakes attempt was a third in the one-mile Autumn Miss (G3) in November at Santa Anita, and Clément said it is time for another chance.

“Her last race was a very good race,” Clément said. “She’s doing well, and it’s a bit ambitious, but it’s the right time of year to be ambitious.”

Breath Away boasts a consistent 10: 3-4-1 ledger that includes a listed Sanibel Island triumph in April 2023 at Gulfstream Park. 

Dual Grade 2-placed Kentucky homebred Ocean Club, post 1, 124 pounds, Frankie Dettori, stretches in distance after a rallying third in the 6 1/2-furlong Ladies Turf Sprint (G2) on Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Jack Sisterson, the 4-year-old Curlin chestnut had made 11 consecutive starts at one mile or more, including a win in the 1 1/16-mile Monroe in May at Gulfstream Park. 

The Monroe victory, which was for trainer Bethany Baumgardner, earned a career-best 91 Beyer and added to Gulfstream success in the Martha Washington going the same distance on Tapeta last June for conditioner Thomas Proctor.  

Rounding out the field are Group 3 winner Elounda Queen, 7, Luis Rivera Jr., 122, for dual Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox; dual graded-stakes-placed Five Towns, 2, Jorge Ruiz, 124, for trainer Graham Motion; and stakes winner Poca Mucha, 3, Kendrick Carmouche, 124, for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Movie Moxy and Signal From Noise are entered for the main track only. 

The Noble Damsel is slated as race 8 at 4:11 p.m. EDT on Saturday’s 11-race card. The first post is 12:35 p.m.