ELMONT, N.Y. – When Lady Alexandra returns to the races off a nine-month layoff Sunday, she will do so at her favorite venue, Belmont Park, where she will meet seven rivals in the $100,000 License Fee Stakes at six furlongs. Last year, when in the care of Chad Brown, Lady Alexandra went 2 for 3 at Belmont, sandwiching allowance wins around a sixth-place finish in the Soaring Softly Stakes. She made only one start thereafter, running eighth in the Coronation Cup at Saratoga when trained by Tom Proctor. Sunday, Lady Alexandra will make her first start for trainer Graham Motion, who got the filly during the winter and was able to get seven works into her – four at Palm Meadows, three at Fair Hill – for her return. “I definitely think she’s ready to run from a fitness standpoint,” Motion said. “I don’t exactly know what her best trip is going to be. She’s certainly shown she can handle these shorter distances before.” Jose Ortiz will ride Lady Alexandra from post 7 in the eight-horse field. Lady Alexandra will probably be stalking the likely pace-setting pair of Nisha and Touch of Bling. Nisha, trained by Jeremiah Englehart, has won four of her last five starts, with her lone loss during that span being when she left the gate without her rider. Nisha’s last two wins have come in dirt sprints at Aqueduct, but she did win a $25,000 claimer on turf last September. She is likely to get some pace pressure from Touch of Bling, who is coming off a second-level turf allowance win at odds of 29-1 at Aqueduct three weeks ago. KEY CONTENDERS Lady Alexandra, by More Than Ready Last 3 Beyers: 74-86-79 ◗ She has shown the ability to fire fresh, having won her career debut at 2 and an allowance last year off a 116-day layoff. DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the last five years, Motion is only 1 for 13 in listed turf stakes with horses returning from a layoff of greater than 180 days. That includes Miss Ella running second in this race at 2-1 last year. Stormy Victoria, by Stormy River Last 3 Beyers: 90-98-97 ◗ She is 3 for 5 over Belmont’s turf courses, including an allowance score in her only try going six furlongs here last fall. ◗ Finished fifth behind stablemate Lull in the Grade 3 Honey Fox at Gulfstream last out when closers were having difficulty winning. “I thought it was a very strong race,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “I thought Stormy Victoria may have been a touch flat the last sixteenth of a mile, but I didn’t think it was a bad race.” Nisha, by First Samurai Last 3 Beyers: 84-78-N/A ◗ Returns to the turf after two front-running victories sprinting on the dirt. “We want to try the turf again with her, give her a shot and see if we can get stakes placed,” Englehart said. “On the grass, I’m not sure she has to have the lead.”