Turnback the Alarm

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A contentious field of nine distaffers will line up in Saturday's $100,000

Turnback the Alarm H. (G3), which will be held at Belmont Park this year going 1

1/16 miles, and we can't pick against FUNNY MOON (Malibu Moon). The

four-year-old lass returns to her favored track, over which she's racked up a

4-0-1 line from six starts including the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) last

year and this season's Shuvee H. (G2). The chestnut will also be cutting back in

distance here following a third-place effort in the 1 1/4-mile Delaware H. (G2)

and a fifth over the Polytrack at Keeneland in the nine-furlong Spinster S.

(G1). Funny Moon has been working well at Belmont and should be able to find the

winner's circle in this one under Alan Garcia.

OUR KHRYSTY (Newfoundland) ran away by 4 1/4 lengths in the Nellie Bly S.

going 8 1/2 furlongs last out while making her Big Sandy debut and should enjoy

this return to track and distance. The Todd Beattie trainee earned a career-best

101 BRIS Speed rating for that effort, but her prior numbers are on par with

others in here. The chestnut four-year-old regularly works bullets over the dirt

at Penn National and could make it two in a row here with Ramon Dominguez

retaining the mount.

WAY WITH WORDS (Sefapiano) scored back-to-back stakes triumphs earlier this

season and just missed by a head in the Jersey Girl H. last out. The bay mare

ran third in this race last October when it was run at Aqueduct going nine

furlongs. We don't think the change in venue or distance will help her chances

at a better finish this time around, but she could hang around in the bottom of

the gimmicks yet again. Edgar Prado takes over riding duties on the Mary Eppler

charge.

BANKER'S BUY (Distorted Humor) was second to Our Khrysty in the Nellie

Bly and also finished second by a head in the Saratoga Dew S. at Saratoga two back. The Nick Zito runner definitely prefers Belmont (6-2-4-0) and might make a

run for the top three under Jose Lezcano. MISS MATCH (Arg) (Indygo Shiner) is a Group 1 winner in Argentina, but her

best efforts stateside have come against allowance runners. She did place in two

minor stakes earlier in the year, so consider for a check in this spot.

MY DINAH

(Victory Gallop) appears more suited for sprinting against state-bred rivals. NICKSAPPEALINGLADY (Successful Appeal) has been playing musical barns since

March 2009, getting well beaten all the while, and MANITOBA MISS (D'wildcat) has

also been distanced in her last three stakes attempts, including a fifth in this

one last year. We can't recommend either one.

AWESOME MARIA (Maria's Mon) finished fourth in Friday's Topicount S. and will

be scratched from this one.