Comely Hopes For Dame Dorothy

Bobby Flay’s Dame Dorothy (Bernardini) takes a perfect four-for-four record into Saturday’s GIII Comely S. at Aqueduct. The morning-line favorite in the nine-furlong affair, Dame Dorothy was tabbed a J “TDN Rising Star” J after her debut victory going seven furlongs over the Aqueduct oval a year ago. She romped by 12 lengths in an off-the-turfer at Gulfstream in January and resurfaced with a four-length win in the Malvern Rose S. over the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs Aug. 10. She earned the first graded tally of her career with a half-length tally in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Turn Back the Alarm H. at Belmont last time out Oct. 26 and will be going nine furlongs for the first time in the Comely. “She came off a layoff in her last race against a very tough field,” said Byron Hughes, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher. “[She’s] in good form and we’re happy with where we’re at right now.” 

Godolphin, which won this race a year ago with Wedding Toast (Street Sense), will be represented by a three-strong entry of sophomore fillies in the Comely this year. Kiaran McLaughlin will saddle Penwith (Bernardini), coming off a third-place finish in the Oct. 4 GII Indiana Oaks, and Divided Attention (A.P. Indy). That filly was second in last year’s GIII Tempted S. and is coming off a troubled 10th-place effort in the GII Raven Run S. while making just her second start of the year. “It’s a tough race, but we think that Divided Attention belongs,” McLaughlin said. “Penwith was just third in the Indiana Oaks, and she won an allowance race at Saratoga. Both of them belong and have a chance.” Tom Albertrani saddles the third Godolphin runner, Snowbell (Tapit), who will be making her stakes debut off a front-running 8 1/2-length triumph in an off-the-turf optional claimer at Belmont Oct. 5. 

Hidden Brook Farm’s Catch My Drift (Pioneerof the Nile) missed catching Dame Dorothy by just a half-length in the Turn Back the Alarm. The lightly raced filly will be making just her sixth start in the Comely. A debut winner at Parx last June, she suffered her only off-the-board finish when seventh in the Aug. 16 GI Alabama S. “This filly is doing really well,” said trainer Chad Brown. “She’s the perfect example of being patient, working her way up, and starting to blossom into form.”