Feather Boa returns from lengthy layoff in Listed Noble Damsel

Team Valor International’s Group 2-winner Feather Boa looks to make a successful return from a more than one-year layoff in Sunday’s Listed $150,000 Noble Damsel, a one-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 6-year-old chestnut was last seen finishing a fast-closing third, landing three-quarter-lengths behind Ever So Sweet in a six-furlong optional claimer last September here. She trailed in last-of-8 early under Irad Ortiz, Jr., and showed a strong turn-of-foot in the stretch to come up just shy of victory, earning an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for her North American debut.

Prior to her tenure with Pletcher, Feather Boa was campaigned in her native South Africa with trainer Stewart Pettigrew, her best result being a win in the Group 2 Joburg Spring F&M Challenge in 2023 at Turffontein. She placed in six other group stakes there, including a pair of Group 1 seconds in 2023 in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Princess Charlene Empress Club.

Feather Boa had been on the bench until a return to the work tab in August at Belmont Park, where she worked steadily until moving north to Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma dirt training track for two breezes this month, including a half-mile in 49.72 seconds on October 11.

“She’s been very straightforward and uncomplicated,” Pletcher said. “She had good form in South Africa and ran well in one start for us. She’s been off for a little while, but she’s training forwardly. Her works have been solid. For a horse that prefers the turf, she’s been moving solidly on the dirt.”

Feather Boa is a daughter of Flower Alley, whom Pletcher trained to a victory in the 2005 Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga, one of four graded wins for the son of Distorted Humor. The stallion moved to the Western Cape in 2015, and Pletcher said he is intrigued to train a mare from one of his former pupil’s South African crops.

“It’s kind of interesting to get a Flower Alley from South Africa,” Pletcher said. “She reminds me a little bit of him. They’re the same color and she’s a nice filly to train. Hopefully we’ll have her ready off the long layoff.”

Hall of Famer Joel Rosario has the call from post 6.

Mrs. Gambolini [post 5, Junior Alvarado] stretches out from a third in the local six-furlong Floral Park on September 13, where she made a rally from well off the pace to make up ground late and secure the minor awards.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. for owner e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, the 4-year-old More Than Ready filly has been on the board in 7-of-8 starts, including an additional stakes placing when a three-quarter-length second to Hollywood Walk in the 5 1/2-furlong Andy Guest on August 9 at Colonial Downs.

Joseph, Jr. said he had considered entering the bay in Sunday’s co-featured six-furlong Autumn Days, but decided to try her at a longer distance.

"It was kind of a coin toss which one we would choose between this or the Autumn Days - if we would stay short or experiment with a stretch out. We always thought that she should stretch out, but she had so much speed early on, we sprinted her,” Joseph, Jr. explained. “Recently, she's been coming from off the pace. We just figured it was time to stretch out and give her a try.”

Joseph, Jr. said he anticipates a closer trip with the added ground.

“I would think going longer, she'd be forwardly placed or in front from the get-go,” the conditioner said. “We are looking to play the break and hopefully she breaks well. If she's on the lead, that's fine, if not, she can stalk." 

A $325,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Mrs. Gambolini is out of the dual stakes-placed Cowboy Cal mare Marquee Cal Gal, a full-sister to Grade 3-placed Marquee Miss and a half-sister to Grade 1-winning dirt sprinter Promises Fulfilled.

More international flavor will be added by La Generacion’s Coni Fizz [post 4, Jorge Ruiz], who enters from a Group 1 victory going nine furlongs over dirt in the Estrellas Distaff on June 28 at Hipodromo Argentino De Palermo in her native Argentina.

Now trained by Jimmy Toner after moving from the barn of Jose Cristobal Blanco, the 4-year-old Marconi gray is on a three-race win streak over dirt, and her 6-for-8 record includes a Group 3 win sprinting seven furlongs on turf in April. The consistent filly’s only two losses have come by margins of a head and a neck, and her wins have come by a combined 32 lengths, the closest margin a neck score last out.

The Noble Damsel will be Coni Fizz’s first attempt over a route of ground on turf. She has banked $77,223 through an 8-6-2-0 record.

Klaravich Stables’ Tax Implications [post 7, Flavien Prat] will look to provide five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown with a record-extending seventh win in this event off a stalk-and-pounce optional claiming victory on August 29 at the Spa.

The 5-year-old Mehmas chestnut notched a graded victory with a determined win in the Grade 3 Eatontown last June at Monmouth Park. She has hit the board in two other graded attempts, and finished a 1 3/4-length fourth in the Grade 1 Matriarch in December at Del Mar when rallying from 10th-of-11 and landing three-quarter-lengths back of third-place Ag Bullet, subsequent winner of the Grade 1 Jaipur against males in June at Saratoga.

Completing the field are dual graded stakes-winner Sparkle Blue [post 1, Frankie Dettori] for trainer Graham Motion, Grade 3-placed Edict [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer David Donk, and Group 3-placed Aussie Girl [post 2, Dylan Davis] for trainer Will Walden.

Weigh the Risks and Tipple have been entered for the main track-only.

The Noble Damsel is slated as Race 7 on Sunday’s nine-race card, which also features the $150,000 Autumn Days in Race 9 and the rescheduled $150,000 Carle Place in Race 6. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

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