Strike the Bell finishes fast in Noble Damsel

The runner-up paid $3.60 and $2, and Scolara, the co-second choice, yielded

$3. Chestoria (Chester House) came next at 9-1 and was followed under the wire

by Sweeter Still (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]), C. S. Silk, Kristi with a K

(Petionville) and Meriwether Jessica (Freud). The exotics totaled $37.80

(exacta), $120.50 (trifecta) and $727 (1-4-6-3 superfecta).

"Even though Ramon was that far back, he was happy with his spot," Donk said.

"He's ridden her before, he likes her, and he knows she just has a big turn of

foot. He trusts her and that's the biggest thing. If he's comfortable, then I'm

comfortable. She's been second in stakes three times, and I knew today was an

important one because it's graded. It's a nice one to get out of the way. I hope

that she's around another year and could be a pretty serious filly."

Strike the Bell finished a head second in the Miss Liberty S. two starts

previously, and filled the same spot in the Chaldea S. and Perfect Sting S. last

year. She entered the Noble Damsel off a sixth in the Ballston Spa H. (G2) and

has now earned $237,278 from a 16-4-4-3 line.

"I've ridden this filly twice before, so I knew her coming into this race

today," Dominguez explained. "I felt pretty confident after the first quarter of

a mile. She fell into the bridle nicely and I could tell we were going to have a

good run. When I started to angle out, and pass horses, I could feel that I

wasn't going to have to go to the whip because she was rolling. I could see on

the big screen that they were behind me and trying to pressure me, but I felt

like we were home free."

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Kuster and Mr. & Mrs. Howard Roberts,

Strike the Bell is out of the unraced Vesper Cat (Mountain Cat), who is also the

dam of a 2010 filly by Stevie Wonderboy. The 10-year-old mare is a half-sister

to multiple stakes queen Vespers and stakes vixen Database, both by Known Fact,

and this is also the family of stakes winner Songlines (Diesis [GB]), who placed

in the 1989 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. (G2), and multiple stakes hero

Binalong (Known Fact).

Strike the Bell sold for $9,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September sale before

being purchased by her current connections for $45,000 at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton

May Midlantic sale.