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​Miss Marissa targets third graded stakes triumph in G3 Turnback the Alarm

by Ryan Martin

Cammarota Racing’s Miss Marissa will attempt to win her third graded stakes event when facing four other fillies and mares in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Turnback the Alarm going nine furlongs over the Belmont Park main track. 

Miss Marissa, trained by Jim Ryerson, was a last-out third in the Grade 2 Beldame on October 10 at Belmont where she finished behind the victorious Royal Flag and Horologist, both of whom are entered in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. 

When Miss Marissa captured the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 10, it prompted Ryerson to try the 4-year-old daughter of He’s Had Enough in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign seven weeks later at Saratoga, where she finished a distant eighth. 

Ryerson said a good effort by Miss Marissa on Saturday would result in a start in the Grade 3, $250,000 Go for Wand on December 4 at Aqueduct. 

“I thought she battled well to try and be second in the Beldame and ran really well that day,” Ryerson said. “Hopefully, we can do well and then go to the Go for Wand from there going a flat mile. We made our mark going a little further than that, but it’s in our backyard.”

Miss Marissa shipped to Pimlico Race Course to capture the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan last October. Ryerson said Miss Marissa has developed well into her 4-year-old season. 

“Going from three to four, you like to see them get a little stronger, faster and have some more maturity in them,” Ryerson said. “I think she’s done that. They don’t always do that. We’ll see how we finish the year and see what Mr. [Alfonso] Cammarota wants to do with her next year. Hopefully, we can finish the year well. She’s sound and if she races well finishing up this year, I think he’ll plan to race her.”

Ryerson said Miss Marissa, who has won over five different ovals, gets a lot out of her training at Belmont. 

“The one thing that I’ve noticed is that she really likes to train here,” Ryerson said. “I was a little disappointed with how she trained at Saratoga and to have the results we had, but we’ve gone out of here and run a number of places and she’s run well.”

Kendrick Carmouche will ride Miss Marissa from post 2. 

Three-time winner Jilted Bride seeks to make the grade for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. 

The ultra-consistent 4-year-old daughter of Wicked Strong has never finished out of the money in a dozen lifetime starts. She arrives off a runner-up effort in a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer on October 2 at Churchill Downs, which came three months after earning black type when third in the Lady Jacqueline at Thistledown. 

“There’s very few that try every race, and she is a model of consistency,” said Peter Bradley of Bradley Thoroughbreds, who owns Jilted Bride in partnership with Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron, Brady Carruth and Zane Carruth. 

Bradley expressed optimism in Jilted Bride being competitive at graded stakes level. 

“This race will tell us,” Bradley said. “She ran a very solid race in her comeback at Churchill. She certainly needed the race. She’s a filly that has definitely matured and gotten better physically.” 

Ruben Silvera will ride Jilted Bride from post 1. 

Gibberish, trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, will attempt a fifth career win. The 4-year-old Lea filly earned graded stakes black type two starts back when second to Miss Marissa in the Delaware Handicap ahead of a fourth in the Summer Colony at Saratoga. Her last victory took place in the Treasure Chest last November at Delta Downs. 

Gibberish will break from post 5 under Dylan Davis. 

Completing the field are So Darn Hot [post 3, Manny Franco] and Firing Carol [post 4, Eric Cancel]. 

The Turnback the Alarm is carded as Race 3 on Saturday’s 10-race program, which also includes the $200,000 Mohawk; the $100,000 Stewart Manor; and the $100,000 Chelsey Flower. First post is 12 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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