Thistledown: Noon Win formidable

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - It's hat-trick time for Noon Win. A 2-year-old Ohio-bred filly, Noon Win has won back-to-back stakes from and the closest any of her rivals in Saturday's $40,000 Emerald Stakes at Thistledown has come to her is 9 1/4 lengths.

In her last start, Noon Win dueled for the lead until late in the stretch, then drew of to a 1 3/4-length win going six furlongs in the Miss Ohio Stakes here on Aug. 28. She won the 5 1/2-furlong Tah Dah at River Downs by a length in much the same fashion.

Noon Win has the speed to vie for the early lead in the six-furlong Emerald. Trained by Joseph Martin, she carries high weight of 118 pounds and will be ridden by Huber Villa-Gomez.

The Tim Hamm-trained entry of Cougar Ann and Marketable figures to provide Noon Win's chief competition.

Cougar Ann is still a maiden from two starts and finished fourth behind Noon Win in the Miss Ohio in her last start. Irwin Rosendo rides.

Marketable won at first asking here on Sept. 2, displaying speed and grit when he prevailed by a neck after giving up the lead at the eighth pole. A little improvement off that effort will make her a solid threat. She will be ridden by Ricardo Feliciano.