Speech Returns in Doubledogdare

Eclipse Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables and Heider Family Stables' Speech (Mr Speaker) looks to reproduce the form that landed her last summer's GI Central Bank Ashland S. in Friday's GIII Baird Doubledogdare S. at Keeneland. Promoted a position to third after the disqualification of Gamine in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks in September, the Mike McCarthy trainee tired to sixth in the seven-furlong GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at the Lexington oval Nov. 7. Javier Castellano, who was aboard the Florida-bred for two of her three lifetime wins, gets the call in the 8 1/2-furlong contest.

W.S. Farish's Royal Flag (Candy Ride {Arg}) kicked off 2020 with a pair of optional claiming wins, including a half-length score at Churchill in May, before finishing third in Monmouth's GIII Molly Pitcher S. in July. Runner up in Saratoga's Aug 30 GIII Shuvee S. followed by the Lady's Secret S. at Monmouth Oct. 7, the chestnut rounded out the season with a confident score in Aqueduct's GIII Turnbackthealarm S. Nov. 7.

Juddmonte's Bonny South (Munnings) also looks to kick off her 2021 campaign Friday. Victorious in three consecutive races, capped off last spring's GII Fair Grounds Oaks, the homebred finished fourth in the Ashland before finishing runner up behind Classic winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in Saratoga's

GI Alabama S. in August. Given some time off before returning with a close-up second in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico, the Brad Cox trainee closed out the year once again playing the bridesmaid–this time behind Envoutante (Uncle Mo)–in the nine-furlong GII Falls City S. at Churchill Nov. 26.

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Royal Flag Flies Late To Capture Turnback The Alarm Stakes

W.S. Farish's Royal Flag arrived at the Grade 3, $100,000 Turnback the Alarm off of three straight placings against stakes company, but finally prevailed when saving ground along the rail and displaying a late kick to capture the 1 1/8-mile event for fillies and mares over the Aqueduct main track.

The 4-year-old daughter of multiple champion-producing stallion Candy Ride broke sharply from post 2 under Trevor McCarthy and secured a spot to the inside as Graceful Princess commanded the pace into the first turn through splits of 24.38 and 49.52 seconds over the fast main track.

Approaching the far turn, Graceful Princess gave way as Nonna Madeline and Mrs. Orb raced in tandem on the front end with Royal Flag in pursuit. At the top of the stretch, McCarthy angled Royal Flag three paths to the outside and was in front past the sixteenth pole to win by by 2 ¼ lengths in a final time of 1:54.08.

Mrs. Orb finished 1 ½ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Nonna Madeline. Another Broad and Graceful Princess completed the order of finish.

“She comes from off the pace, but I got a great trip,” McCarthy said. “I was able to save some ground and then got her outside and she gave me a great kick. She's a nice filly and she gave me everything she had. As soon as she came off the turn, I went lefthanded and then went back to the right and she really accelerated and went right by the other two horses.”

McCarthy said he came prepared for Saturday's race.

“I did a lot of homework on this race,” said McCarthy. “It was a five-horse field and I watched every horse about three or four times and kind of figured out where they were going to be and where the best spot for my horse would be and where she would feel comfort-wise. You have a bunch of plans in your head of what can work out and you take it from the break and figure out which plan you are going to use.”

Trained by Chad Brown, who sent out 2016 Turnback the Alarm winner Lewis Bay, Royal Flag was previously a hard-fought second to Nonna Madeline in the Lady's Secret at Monmouth Park after acquiring graded stakes black type when second in the Grade 3 Shuvee at Saratoga and third in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park.

Royal Flag, the even-money favorite, returned $4.10 and bolstered her career earnings to $245,520 through a consistent record of 8-4-2-2.

Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Royal Flag is out of the multiple black type producing Mineshaft mare Sea Gull, who also produced five-time graded stakes winner Catalina Cruiser and multiple stakes winner Eagle.

Live racing resumes on Sunday at the Big A, featuring the Grade 3, $100,000 Nashua [Race 9, 3:47 p.m.] for 2-year-olds going a one-turn mile over the main track. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

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Nonna Madeline Headline’s Saturday’s Turnback The Alarm At Aqueduct

Trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by three fillies as looks to secure a fifth triumph in Saturday's 26th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Turnback the Alarm going 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares over the Aqueduct main track.

Pletcher won previous editions of the Turnback the Alarm with Indian Vale (2005), Unbridled Belle (2009), Dame Dorothy (2014) and Eskenformoney (2017).

Arriving fresh off a second career stakes triumph in the Lady's Secret at Monmouth Park is Teresa Viola Stable and St. Elias Stable's Nonna Madeline, who owns a consistent 12-4-3-1 record. The 4-year-old Candy Ride bay maintained a stalking position in second in the early stages of the 1 1/16-mile Lady's Secret and engaged in a stretch battle with fellow Turnback the Alarm aspirant Royal Flag, holding off the stubborn foe to win by a nose, earning a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She ran well that day,” said Pletcher's Belmont Park-based assistant Byron Hughes. “She's a tough, hard-knocking horse and did a good job of fighting off Chad Brown's filly [Royal Flag] at the wire. It was a good solid win and she's coming into the race in good form.”

The hard-fought victory made amends for a lackluster performance in the Grade 3 Shuvee on August 30 at Saratoga, where she was a distant eighth as the lukewarm favorite after winning the Spa's Summer Colony.

“She was a little further back in that race than we would have liked,” said Hughes. “She seems to do her best running when she's on the pace or close to it.”

Hailing from the prestigious lines of prolific broodmares La Troienne and Numbered Account, Nonna Madeline is out of the Storm Cat mare Cool Storm -a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Bluegrass Cat. She was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.

Jockey Nik Juarez retains the mount from post 3.

Farfellow Farm's Another Broad, third in the Lady's Secret, will attempt her first victory since taking the 2019 Top Flight Invitational at the Big A.

In her last out effort, the 5-year-old Include bay sported blinkers for the first time and was more forwardly placed early on. Another Broad will again race in blinkers on Saturday.

“The blinkers seemed to put her in the race a little more,” Hughes said. “Her last few races, she finished up well but didn't really have much of a pace to run into.”

Jockey Chris DeCarlo will pilot Another Broad from post 1.

Whisper Hill Farm's royally-bred Graceful Princess will be making her stakes debut and third career start for Pletcher in pursuit of a third career victory.

The daughter of multiple champion-producing sire Tapit out of 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace made her debut for the Pletcher barn a victorious one when strolling home a 6 1/2 length winner in a first-level allowance event on April 24 at Gulfstream Park. Graceful Princess did not race again until October 4, when a distant fifth in a Belmont Park allowance.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will ride from post 4.

Trainer Chad Brown sends out Royal Flag in attempt to turn the tables on Nonna Madeline after a nip-and-tuck stretch duel in the Lady's Secret.
The three-time winner fought to the outside of fellow Candy Ride daughter Nonna Madeline through the stretch run of the Lady's Secret.

In her lone start at Aqueduct, Royal Flag was a second-out maiden winner over a muddy and sealed main track in December, where she romped to an eight-length victory before defeating winners going two turns for the first time in a February 7 Gulfstream Park allowance race. She acquired graded stakes black type in her two starts prior to the Lady's Secret with a distant third in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park and a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Shuvee at Saratoga.

A W.S. Farish Kentucky homebred, Royal Flag is a half-sister to five-time graded stakes winner Catalina Cruiser and a full-sister to graded stakes winner Eagle.

Royal Flag breaks from post 2 under jockey Trevor McCarthy.

Completing the field is New York-bred Mrs. Orb, who makes her graded stakes debut for trainer Michael Miceli. Owned by her trainer in partnership with Ruggeri Stable, Richard Coburn and Script R Farm, the daughter of 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb arrives from three runner-up finishes in stakes company against fellow New York-breds and seeks her first trip to the winner's circle since winning the Bay Ridge in December at Aqueduct.

Breaking from post 5, jockey Eric Cancel will ride Mrs. Orb.

The Turnback the Alarm is slated as Race 3 on Saturday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 10:30 a.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the Aqueduct fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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