Belmont Stakes Previews

By Ryan Martin —-

Nonna Madeline leads Pletcher trio in G3 Turnback the Alarm

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by three fillies as looks to secure a fifth triumph in Saturday’s 26th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Turnback the Alarm going 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares over the Aqueduct main track.

Pletcher won previous editions of the Turnback the Alarm with Indian Vale (2005), Unbridled Belle (2009), Dame Dorothy (2014) and Eskenformoney (2017).

Arriving fresh off a second career stakes triumph in the Lady’s Secret at Monmouth Park is Teresa Viola Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Nonna Madeline, who owns a consistent 12-4-3-1 record. The 4-year-old Candy Ride bay maintained a stalking position in second in the early stages of the 1 1/16-mile Lady’s Secret and engaged in a stretch battle with fellow Turnback the Alarm aspirant Royal Flag, holding off the stubborn foe to win by a nose, earning a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She ran well that day,” said Pletcher’s Belmont Park-based assistant Byron Hughes. “She’s a tough, hard-knocking horse and did a good job of fighting off Chad Brown’s filly [Royal Flag] at the wire. It was a good solid win and she’s coming into the race in good form.”

The hard-fought victory made amends for a lackluster performance in the Grade 3 Shuvee on August 30 at Saratoga, where she was a distant eighth as the lukewarm favorite after winning the Spa’s Summer Colony.

“She was a little further back in that race than we would have liked,” said Hughes. “She seems to do her best running when she’s on the pace or close to it.”

Hailing from the prestigious lines of prolific broodmares La Troienne and Numbered Account, Nonna Madeline is out of the Storm Cat mare Cool Storm -a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Bluegrass Cat. She was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.

Jockey Nik Juarez retains the mount from post 3.

Farfellow Farm’s Another Broad, third in the Lady’s Secret, will attempt her first victory since taking the 2019 Top Flight Invitational at the Big A.

In her last out effort, the 5-year-old Include bay sported blinkers for the first time and was more forwardly placed early on. Another Broad will again race in blinkers on Saturday.

“The blinkers seemed to put her in the race a little more,” Hughes said. “Her last few races, she finished up well but didn’t really have much of a pace to run into.”

Jockey Chris DeCarlo will pilot Another Broad from post 1.

Whisper Hill Farm’s royally-bred Graceful Princess will be making her stakes debut and third career start for Pletcher in pursuit of a third career victory.

The daughter of multiple champion-producing sire Tapit out of 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace made her debut for the Pletcher barn a victorious one when strolling home a 6 1/2 length winner in a first-level allowance event on April 24 at Gulfstream Park. Graceful Princess did not race again until October 4, when a distant fifth in a Belmont Park allowance.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will ride from post 4.

Trainer Chad Brown sends out Royal Flag in attempt to turn the tables on Nonna Madeline after a nip-and-tuck stretch duel in the Lady’s Secret.
The three-time winner fought to the outside of fellow Candy Ride daughter Nonna Madeline through the stretch run of the Lady’s Secret.

In her lone start at Aqueduct, Royal Flag was a second-out maiden winner over a muddy and sealed main track in December, where she romped to an eight-length victory before defeating winners going two turns for the first time in a February 7 Gulfstream Park allowance race. She acquired graded stakes black type in her two starts prior to the Lady’s Secret with a distant third in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park and a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Shuvee at Saratoga.

A W.S. Farish Kentucky homebred, Royal Flag is a half-sister to five-time graded stakes winner Catalina Cruiser and a full-sister to graded stakes winner Eagle.

Royal Flag breaks from post 2 under jockey Trevor McCarthy.

Completing the field is New York-bred Mrs. Orb, who makes her graded stakes debut for trainer Michael Miceli. Owned by her trainer in partnership with Ruggeri Stable, Richard Coburn and Script R Farm, the daughter of 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb arrives from three runner-up finishes in stakes company against fellow New York-breds and seeks her first trip to the winner’s circle since winning the Bay Ridge in December at Aqueduct.

Breaking from post 5, jockey Eric Cancel will ride Mrs. Orb.

The Turnback the Alarm is slated as Race 3 on Saturday’s 10-race program, which offers a first post of 10:30 a.m. Eastern. America’s Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the Aqueduct fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America’s Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Juvenile fillies seek first stakes win in Stewart Manor

By Brian Bohl —-

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Fresh off earning graded stakes black type in her North American debut, the Irish-bred Magisterium will look to build on that effort in Saturday’s $100,000 Stewart Manor for juvenile fillies contesting at six furlongs over Aqueduct Racetrack’s outer turf.

One of two stakes on the first Saturday of the Big A fall meet, joining the Grade 3, $100,000 Turnback the Alarm for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/8 miles on the main track, the third running of the Stewart Manor will see Magisterium entered off a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Matron on October 11 at Belmont.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables, the daughter of Elzaam won two of her four starts in England to begin her career. She also posted two runner-up efforts, including on August 8 at Newmarket before shipping across the Atlantic and into trainer Christophe Clement’s care, where she began training at Belmont in September before rallying from last-of-seven in the six-furlong Matron, finishing 1 ½ lengths back to winner Royal Approval over the firm turf.

“She had a nice work on Sunday,” Clement said. “She was solid last time. They always say be careful between the first and second race [in a new country], but she doesn’t train like a filly who is going to have problems. She seems very happy in her new surroundings. So, let’s go for one more and we’ll give her a break after that.”

Magisterium will pick up jockey Eric Cancel’s services, drawing post 7.

Her stablemate, Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister’s Honey Pants, won at second asking last out, wiring an eight-horse field by four lengths in her turf debut on October 25 at Belmont one month after running sixth going 6 ½ furlongs on Big Sandy.

A daughter of Cairo Prince, Honey Pants, purchased for $90,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, has also been training at Belmont, recording six workouts since August. Trevor McCarthy will ride from the inside post.

Saratoga Ten General Partner’s Show Me the Honey made an impressive debut on October 3 over firm Belmont turf, recording a 2 ¼-length victory against a 12-horse field going six furlongs. The Michelle Nevin trainee, bred in New York by Sugar Plum Farm, will see Kendrick Carmouche ride from post 6.

Hat Creek Racing’s Illegal Smile will be looking to break her maiden in her fifth attempt but has been competitive in her last three starts, including a runner-up effort to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint-bound Dirty Dangle in the five-furlong Woodbine Cares on September 19 and a third to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf-bound Alda in the Catch A Glimpse, going 6 ½ furlongs, on August 23 at the same Canadian track for trainer Wesley Ward.

Cristian Torres will be aboard from post 3.

Lexinator won her first start on September 8 at Presque Isle Downs and made her stakes debut at the same track on October 5, running third in the Presque Isle Debutante going 6 ½ furlongs on the all-weather track. Trained by Nicholas Sideris, she will run on turf for the first time, drawing post 4 with Pablo Morales in the irons.

Rounding out the field is Herald Angel, who broke her maiden at third asking on October 10 on the Belmont grass, for trainer Mike Maker [post 5, Reylu Gutierrez]; Magical Soul, an $80,000 purchase at the Ocala Spring Sale this year, who won in his second start on September 26 at Monmouth Park for John Kimmel [post 2, Christopher DeCarlo]; and Spirited Beauty, who graduated at second asking on September 14 at Delaware Park for conditioner Jose Camejo [post 8, Luis Reyes].

The Stewart Manor is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 10-race card which features a first post of 10:30 a.m. America’s Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the Aqueduct fall meet with coverage to air on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the 18-day fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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