Noblame faces red-hot rivals in Fancy Buckles

Road trip!

Noblame invades Charles Town for Saturday night’s $50,000 Fancy Buckles, traveling from Kentucky to be part of an eight-horse field that includes streaking rivals Ghost Fever, Miss Blue Dot, and Cuttin Edge Tech.

The Fancy Buckles is a 4 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares bred in West Virginia.

Noblame won the race a year ago, when she defeated older rivals at the age of 3. It was her third local stakes win behind the Rachel’s Turn at 2 and the Its Binn Too Long at 3, and for all of those races she shipped into town for owners Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch and trainer Joe Sharp.

Noblame will be launching her 4-year-old season Saturday night off a series of forward works at Churchill Downs. She last raced in August, winning a 4 1/2-furlong allowance at Charles Town to improve her local record to 4 for 6. Noblame has won off the bench, and Sharp hits at a strong 31 percent win rate with runners returning from layoffs of more than 180 days, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form.

Xavier Perez has the mount from the rail Saturday.

Ghost Fever is looking for her fifth straight victory and first stakes win in the Fancy Buckles. She began her streak in December by winning an allowance at Charles Town. Ghost Fever proceeded to win three more allowances over the local strip through her last start March 22, with all the wins coming at the 4 1/2-furlong trip she will travel Saturday.

Ghost Fever, who is a full sister to stakes winners Hidden Canyon and Bullets Fever, is owned and trained by Javier Contreras. Carlos Marrero has the mount from post 4.

Cuttin Edge Tech is looking her fourth straight win. She has been on top of her game since last fall, having won seven of her last eight starts. Arnaldo Bocachica has the mount from post 3.

Miss Blue Dot has won her last three starts, all at 4 1/2 furlongs at Charles Town dating back to November. She is trained by Kevin Patterson, as is Cuttin Edge Tech.