Lewis Bay runs away with G3 Turnback the Alarm; Frostmourne slays Awad field

by Heather Pettinger

Alpha Delta Stables' homebred Lewis Bay delivered as the heavy favorite Saturday afternoon, picking up her third graded stakes with a front-running victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 Turnback the Alarm for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park.

Breaking from post 2 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, Lewis Bay shot to the lead and coasted through the opening quarter-mile in 23.46 seconds and the half in 47.36 while holding a comfortable one-length advantage over Linda Mimi and Innovative Idea. The 3-year-old Bernardini filly turned for home with a five-length advantage over her rivals, romping home a 5 ¼-length winner under the wire.

Lewis Bay stopped the clock in 1:42.09. Sent off at 2-5, the winner returned $2.90 for a $2 win wager.

"She's a nice filly," said Ortiz. "Today, she got an easy spot and broke on top. I didn't fight her too much, and she showed her [class]. She felt relaxed and gave me a lot at the end, so I'm really happy with her."

After closing out her 2-year-old season with a 1 ¾-length score in her stakes debut in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct Racetrack, Lewis Bay returned as a sophomore, winning the Grade 2 Gazelle, before finishing third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 6 and second in the Grade 1 Mother Goose in July. Most recently, the Chad Brown trainee tried her hand in the one-turn, seven-furlong Grade 1 Test at Saratoga Race Course on August 6, where she raced close to a sharp pace before finishing fourth, five lengths behind 55-1 upset winner Paola Queen.

"She's been a horse that's had such a good season, yet we're still trying to figure out some things about her," said Brown. "The cutback in the Test, a couple of races [where] she moved to her left lead in the lane and waited on horses when she made the lead. It seems she has a lot of natural ability but she's not quite a finished product yet. Today, Irad took a chance and went to the lead and said she relaxed beautifully and that was the best she's really traveled and best she's finished with that setup so it all worked out."

Lewis Bay bolstered her career earnings to $755,000 from a 4-3-1 record from nine starts.

Flora Dora closed with a rally to secure second, 7 ¼ lengths ahead of Eskenformoney in third. Smartly Agree, Rachel's Temper, Linda Mimi and Innovative Idea completed the order of finish.

Two races later, Green Lantern Stables' Frostmourne picked up his first stakes victory in the $100,000 Awad for 2-year-olds at a mile on the Widener turf. 

Well covered up through most of the race, Frostmourne raced greenly in fifth along the hedge as Royal Nature took the field of eight through an opening quarter in 23.59 and a half in 48.03. Leaving the far turn, jockey Jose Ortiz steered the homebred son of Speightstown through a seam between horses, sweeping past Royal Nature and drawing off to win by 3 ½ lengths.

"He broke really sharp," said Ortiz. "I didn't want to be on the lead, so I tried to just settle him, but he started throwing his head on me. For a moment I thought he was rank, but after he did it a second time after a half-mile going to the three-eighths pole, he relaxed a little better. That was the key. I got a good trip behind the leader. When I brought him out in the stretch, he had plenty of run."

Frostmourne completed the mile on the yielding turf course in 1:38.12, returning $9.10 for a $2 win wager.

After breaking his maiden on the turf at Saratoga by 2 ¼ lengths in September, the Christophe Clement trainee was fourth in his stakes debut, finishing behind Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hopefuls Oscar Performance, J. S. Choice and Kitten's Cat in the Grade 3 Pilgrim on October 1.

"He's always trained like a nice horse," said Clement. "We were disappointed in the results from the Pilgrim, but that was won by a good horse. Today, I knew Jose had to fight him a little, but he was more restrained and finished very well. We'll put him away and come back sometime next year in the spring. I'm not sure where yet, it could be Tampa, Gulfstream or Keeneland."

Royal by Nature held on for second, followed by Bonus Points, Heaven Is Waiting, D'yer Mak'er, Harlan's Harmony, Hot and Heavy and Bookew Bucks to round out the order of finish. Undulated was scratched.