Chelsea Durand Photo

Velazquez notches 660th graded stakes victory aboard Significant Form in G3 Noble Damsel

by Ryan Martin

Stephanie Seymour Brant's Significant Form racked up a third graded stakes win on Saturday afternoon in the Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel at Belmont Park under a perfectly timed ride by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

The victory put Velazquez on even terms with fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey for most North American graded stakes victories with 660.

Significant Form arrived at the one-mile event for fillies and mares over the Widener turf course off of a win in the Grade 2 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa on August 24 at Saratoga.

Breaking from post 5, the gray or roan daughter of Creative Cause settled in fourth, three paths to the outside of the tightly bunched six-horse field. Multiple graded stakes winner Valedictorian controlled the tempo through an opening quarter-mile in 23.67 seconds over the firm turf.

Valedictorian maintained her 1 ½-length advantage through the half-mile in 46.78 seconds while Significant Form moved into second, with 39-1 longshot Betty F to her inside around the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Significant Form responded when receiving her cue from Velazquez and took the lead approaching the eighth-pole, with fellow Chad Brown trainee Stella di Camelot looming with a late bid on the outside.

Significant Form, full of run, bested her stablemate by 2 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:33.48. Pacesetter Valedictorian was another 3 1/2 lengths back in third.

Bellavais, Capla Temptress and Betty F completed the order of finish.

"She was on the outside today and I was worried she was going to be a little bit rank. She actually handled it pretty well," said Velazquez, who also piloted Signifcant Form to her win in the Ballston Spa. "I tried to cover her up a little bit around turn with Joe Bravo [No. 6, Valedictorian] riding close to the fence. I was kind of reeling in and out of there and I wanted to keep the competition behind him riding there.

"Right before the quarter-pole, I just asked her to go, and she ran off," he added. "It's nice to ride these kind of horses. They respond when you ask them and I have to thank Chad for the opportunity. These are the type of horses that keep you coming back to the track."

The triumph was a third stakes win of the meet for Brown. Additionally, it was the second time this meet that Brown's horses have run one-two in stakes. Last Saturday, he saddled Blowout to a victory in the Pebbles, who bested stablemate Seek and Destroy.

"Once she found that distance, she's really effective," said Whit Beckman, assistant to Brown. "She's had a great year and has come back as a really nice 4-year-old. Once you get her at her optimal distance and get her in her rhythm and a cycle, she shows up for you."

Significant Form previously won the Grade 3 Miss Grillo over Belmont's inner turf course as a 2-year-old. As a 3-year-old, she was an emphatic 6 ½-length winner of the Memories of Silver at Aqueduct.

Significant Form returned $4.60 for a $2 win bet and cashed $110,000 for the win, increasing her lifetime earnings to $804,865. Her record now stands at 12-5-1-0.

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, Significant Form is out of the Harlan's Holiday broodmare Church by the Sea, who also produced graded stakes winner Hay Dakota. She was a $575,000 purchase from the Ocala Breeders Sales Company's 2017 April 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale.