TurfPublicists: TURNBACK THE ALARM (G3) ADVANCE; for Saturday, October 30, 2010

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Contact: Jenny Kellner

FUNNY MOON FAVORED IN TURNBACK THE ALARM

ELMONT, N.Y. – When Funny Moon rallied from last to score a neck victory in the 2009 Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park, it marked the first Grade 1 victory on the dirt for trainer Christophe Clement. The Malibu Moon miss has continued to find success on the main track and Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park, she is favored to add the 15th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Turnback the Alarm Stakes to her resume.

Now 1-1-2 from five starts as a 4-year-old, including a 2 ¾-length victory in Belmont's Grade 2 Shuvee in May, Funny Moon comes into the 1 1/16 mile race for fillies and mares on the heels of a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland on October 10. The Spinster was Funny Moon's first start in three months, and her connections feel the layoff may have been a factor in her so-so performance.

"She might have needed the race; she was a bit flat," said Christophe Lorieul, Clement's assistant. "She had run well [on Polytrack] when she was second in the Doubledogdare at Keeneland in her first start of the year. But since she's been back this time, she's been doing great."

Sandwiched between the Shuvee and the Spinster were a pair of third-place finishes behind Life At Ten in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap and the Grade 1 Odgen Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park, where Funny Moon is 4-0-1 from six starts, including a pair of allowance victories last year.

"There's no doubt she has been very good to us," said Lorieul. "She's gone out and danced every dance. This race seems like a good spot for her, so we are hopeful she does well."

The 8-5 choice on the morning line, Funny Moon will carry Alan Garcia and top weight of 120 pounds as she leaves from the rail.

Our Khrysty made her Belmont Park debut a winning one, coming from off the pace to post a 4 ¼-length victory in an overnight stakes at the Turnback the Alarm distance on September 26. The win was the first of the year for the Newfoundland filly, who in her previous graded stakes start was fourth in the Grade 3 Endine at Delaware Park on September 11.

Belmont Park's leading rider, Ramon Dominguez, has the return call on Our Khrysty, 3-1 on the morning line from post position 9.

As a 2-year-old, Awesome Maria was 2-2-0 in four starts, including a victory in the Grade 2 Matron and a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Frizette, her final start of 2009. The daughter of Maria's Mon returned to the races at Saratoga Race Course after an 11-month break, winning a division of the Riskaverse on the turf before finishing third behind Havre de Grace and Grade 1 Alabama winner Blind Luck in the Grade 2 Fitz Dixon Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing.

Also entered in an overnight stakes on the turf at Belmont Park on Friday, Awesome Maria drew post position 6 as the third choice on the morning line at 7-2. John Velazquez was named to ride.

The 5-year-old Argentine mare Miss Match returns to Belmont for a second time after a fifth-place finish behind Life At Ten in the Grade 1 Beldame on October 2. Trained by Michael Matz, Miss Match won an allowance at Saratoga prior to the Beldame, and also took an off-the-turf allowance at Gulfstream Park to launch her 2010 campaign.

With Rajiv Maragh aboard, Miss Match drew post position 3 and was listed at 10-1 on the morning line.

Completing the field are Banker's Buy, second to Our Khrysty on September 26; Manitoba Miss, fourth in the Ogden Phipps, and My Dinah, winner of the Fleet Indian at Saratoga, along with Way With Words and Nicksappealinglady, third and fourth in last year's Turnback the Alarm.

The field for the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm:

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	Odds
1	Funny Moon (KY)	A Garcia	120	C Clement	8-5
2	Banker's Buy (NY)	J Lezcano	115	N P Zito	12-1
3	Miss Match (ARG)	R Maragh	115	M R Matz	10-1
4	Manitoba Miss (ON)	C H Velasquez	113	G Weaver	30-1
5	Way With Words (NJ)	E S Prado	115	M E Eppler	12-1
6	Awesome Maria (KY)	J R Velazquez	114	T A Pletcher	7-2
7	My Dinah (NY)	J L Espinoza	113	K M Feron	15-1
8	Nicksappealinglady (FL)	M Studart	114	G C Contessa	30-1
9	Our Khrysty (KY)	R A Dominguez	116	T M Beattie	3-1

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