Nonna Madeline, Royal Flag rematched in Turnback the Alarm Handicap

Nonna Madeline will be giving weight to her rivals Saturday when she attempts to win her second consecutive stakes race in the Grade 3, $100,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Aqueduct.

The mile and an eighth offering is for fillies and mares. It shares a card with the $100,000 Stewart Manor for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs on turf.

Nonna Madeline is the 124-pound highweight in the Turnback the Alarm and will spot her four rivals between two and eight pounds each. She enters off a nose win in the $100,000 Lady’s Secret at a mile and a sixteenth Oct. 7 at Monmouth Park.

“She ran a great race,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Nonna Madeline for Teresa Viola Racing Stables and St. Elias Stable. “It was a very determined, hard-fought victory. We were proud of her effort.”

Nonna Madeline, who carried four more pounds than runner-up Royal Flag, earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 94. It’s the co-highest last-race number in the Turnback the Alarm. Nonna Madeline shares the distinction with Royal Flag, who on Saturday carries 122 pounds.

:: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more.

“She’s spotting the field some weight, which is always a concern,” Pletcher said. “She usually shows up and runs hard.”

Nonna Madeline has won two stakes in her last three starts, with the Summer Colony in August at Saratoga coming over the same distance she will travel Saturday. Nik Juarez, who was aboard last out in the Lady’s Secret, has the mount from post 3.

“We’ve found she’s a filly that runs kind of freely,” Pletcher said. “We won’t take too much of a hold of her. We’ll let her place herself.”

Pletcher also will start Another Broad and Graceful Princess. Another Broad was second in this race a year ago, and was third last out in the Lady’s Secret. She races for Farfellow Farm.

“Another Broad always seems to be at her best at Aqueduct,” Pletcher said. “We’re looking forward to getting her back on that surface. And the mile and an eighth suits her very well.”

Chris DeCarlo has the mount from the rail on Another Broad, who last year won the Top Flight Invitational at Aqueduct.

Graceful Princess is making her stakes debut for breeder and owner Whisper Hill Farm. She is by top-class sire Tapit and out of Horse of the Year and $2.5 million earner Havre de Grace. Graceful Princess exits a fifth-place finish in an Oct. 4 allowance at Belmont, her first out following an April 24 allowance win at Gulfstream.

“Graceful Princess is one that’s always shown a lot of ability,” Pletcher said. “We’re hoping that second off the layoff she’ll improve a little bit.

“She’s bred as good as any horse in the world. Some graded black type would be great for her.”

Kendrick Carmouche has the mount from post 4.

The field also includes stakes winner Mrs. Orb and Royal Flag. The latter is a half-sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Catalina Cruiser and a full sister to Grade 3 winner Eagle. Trevor McCarthy has the mount for Will Farish and trainer Chad Brown.

Magisterium brings some of the best credentials into the Stewart Manor as she was third in the Grade 3 Matron last out at Belmont in her first start in North America. Magisterium is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Comedy. Eric Cancel has the mount for trainer Christophe Clement.