Rite Moment had already proven herself as a hard-knocking horse during her three-year-old, predominantly Midwest campaign last year, which explains why trainer Gary Contessa was anxious to bring her to New York.

In four starts for Contessa entering Saturday’s card at Aqueduct, she notched three wins and her only loss was by a half-length to Beau Dare in the Correction Handicap on February 9.

But on Saturday afternoon, before a crowd of 4,102, Rite Moment again came through for Contessa and her owners, Winning Move Stable and Seidman Stable, as she wore down front-running Your Flame in Me for a one-length victory in the 54th running of the $143,900, six-furlong Distaff Handicap – the first Grade 2 stakes race in New York this year.

“When this filly came across the FAX machine, I said, `Oh my God! I have to have this horse,’” Contessa said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I was thinking maybe she could win an `a other than,’ and then run her for 40 or 50 thousand. When she got here, she acted like she had some quality.

“She has exceeded my expectations. She never bounces. She comes back on two or three weeks rest and runs the same race. She’s a big, strong filly; a half hour after we put her in the gate, she’ll have eaten eight quarts of grain. She eats like a colt, trains like a colt and runs against fillies. It’s kind of cool.”

Jockey Rajiv Maragh was also kind of cool, as he kept Rite Moment on the rail as Your Flame in Me and jockey Mario Pino took to the lead on the fast track and set a pace of 22.58, 45.69 and 57.61 on the fast track. Both Control System and Beau Dare cam with rallies on the outside, and in early stretch, those two and Rite Moment were three abreast with Your Flame in Me still on the lead.

But as soon as space appeared, Maragh got his mount out and after the leader and came home the winner in 1:09.86.

“I knew she would put me in the right position, being that I got the rail,” Maragh said. “I hoped to sit that pocket trip over this track. Off the turn, I was trying to maneuver so I would have enough space to get out. Chuckie (Lopez on Beau Dare) was intent on holding me in, so I just sat patiently. It is an honor to ride horses like her. I’ve won a bunch of Grade 3s, but this is my first Grade 2.”

Maragh, who came back to win the 10th and final race on Saturday with August Rex ($15.80) will get another chance at a Grade 2 victory, as Contessa said he would likely run Rite Moment back here on the main track on Saturday, April 19 in the Grade 2, $150,000 Bed O’Roses at seven furlongs.

A 4-year-old daughter of Vicar, Rite Moment returned $7.30 to win.

Scatkey was third, followed by Control System and Beau Dare.

Quality Affair lost all chance when she stumbled at the start.

Aqueduct will be closed for both live racing and simulcasting tomorrow, Easter Sunday.

The Big A will be open for simulcasting only on Monday and Tuesday, March 24-25. Gate open at 11:30 a.m.

Aqueduct’s regular schedule of live racing will resume on Wednesday, March 26 with a first-race post of 1 p.m.