Divine Miss Grey Heads Turnback the Alarm Field

After two runner-up finishes and a third-place effort at the graded level, the consistent Divine Miss Grey will look to earn her first graded stakes victory when she takes on a field of seven in the $150,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and older Nov. 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Turnback the Alarm is one of four graded stakes to open the first week at Aqueduct, with the $150,000 Tempted (G3) and the rescheduled $200,000 Bold Ruler (G3) Nov. 2, opening day, and the $200,000 Nashua (G3) Nov. 4.

Owned by Corms Racing Stable and R.A. Hill Stable, Divine Miss Grey has placed in 10 of her last 11 starts, including five wins for trainer Danny Gargan. The 4-year-old Divine Park filly has made 21 starts, registering a record of 10-5-1 for earnings of $683,672.

Last time out Divine Miss Grey rallied for second in the Oct. 6 Beldame Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, finishing 3 1/4 lengths behind Wow Cat in her first start at the Turnback the Alarm's distance of 1 1/8 miles.

"She still fights to hit the board and she's a real, true competitor," Gargan said. "She's done spectacular. Ten wins out of 21 for a 4-year-old is (impressive). She's been nothing but great for us and is a lot of fun to be around. She's tough to train, because she's real aggressive, but she's done real good, so hopefully this is the right spot to run her in."

Divine Miss Grey won the Sept. 8 Dr. James Penny Memorial at Parx Racing, which built on a third-place effort in the July 29 Molly Pitcher (G3) at Monmouth Park. 

"She's doing really well right now. I've always wanted to run her long," Gargan said. "It just worked out that way. In the winter a lot of the races are one-turn miles. I always wanted to go at least a mile and a sixteenth with her. All the good ones go long. It just took time to get it where it worked out right."

Divine Miss Grey has won as the speed, including her gate-to-wire victory in the June 30 Lady Secret at Monmouth, but can also race off the pace. 

"She rated nicely in her last race, which we might have to do in the Turnback the Alarm," Gargan said. "There are a few fillies in there that have to have the lead, so if that plays out, we'll rate her. I don't think she has to have the lead. I think she might be a little better off of it. If she can go a little slower, she'll come home faster."

Multiple graded stakes winner Holy Helena will look to bounce back from a seventh-place effort in the Oct. 7 Flower Bowl Stakes (G1) at Belmont for trainer Jimmy Jerkens. The 4-year-old Ghostzapper  filly took the March 3 The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park and the May 5 Sheepshead Bay (G2) at Belmont. Last year's Queen's Plate winner has hit the board once in her last three starts, when she placed third in the June 30 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2) at Woodbine.

Entries: Turnback the Alarm H. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 03, 2018, Race 9

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:44 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Teresa Z (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	121	Anthony R. Margotta, Jr.	3/1
2	2Bishop's Pond (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Jason Servis	6/1
3	3Arraign (KY)	David Cohen	116	Michael R. Matz	15/1
4	4Divine Miss Grey (KY)	Junior Alvarado	123	Danny Gargan	7/5
5	5Moonlit Garden (KY)	Dylan Davis	118	Christopher Davis	5/1
6	6Holy Helena (ON)	Rajiv Maragh	120	James A. Jerkens	4/1
7	7Forever Liesl (FL)	Eric Cancel	116	Michelle Nevin	15/1