Pace Could Undo Capeside Lady in 'Alarm

A filly whose victories have all come when she is on or near the lead, Madcapt Stable's Capeside Lady faces a difficult task in the $100,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap (gr. III) Saturday at Aqueduct Park, when she'll have serious pace rivals to deal with.

The 3-year-old Capeside Lady, who will also be challenging older fillies and mares in the 1 1/8-mile event, should be the inside speed leaving from post two with Roar Emotion and Pocus Hocus breaking outside her. Chris DeCarlo, who has ridden the filly in her last three starts, will have to keep the Cape Town filly out of a pace battle.

"There's some other speed in there, but this filly doesn't need to have the lead," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "She's really seemed to thrive running around two turns. She finished ahead of Stellar Jayne in the Indiana Oaks and that one came back to run well against Ashado in the Distaff."

Capeside Lady won back-to-back stakes at Monmouth before shipping to Hoosier Park.

Sabin Handicap winner Roar Emotion and defending Turnback the Alarm champ Pocus Hocus should ensure a solid opening half-mile, while Misty Sixes could mix things up as well.

A brisk pace almost benefited William Clifton Jr.'s Nevermore in the Personal Ensign (gr. I) at Saratoga. In a very tough spot, the filly rallied and appeared to have a big shot in mid-stretch, but ended up 1 ¾ lengths behind Storm Flag Flying after Azeri set wicked fractions.

Personal Legend has only one race on dirt, a second-place effort in the El Encino (gr. II) at Santa Anita in January. She likes to rally from off the pace and would also benefit from a speed duel, although trainer Bobby Frankel said he was not sure she would run.

"She might run," Frankel said. "I want to put her in there to see how it looks."

Like Personal Legend, Fast Cookie has been doing her recent running on turf. Fast Cookie has more experience on dirt though, going 3-for-12 with a stakes tally in last year's Cotillion (gr. II).

$100,000 Turnback The Alarm (gr. III), fillies & mares 3 & up, 1 1/8 mile
PP., HORSE, TRAINER, JOCKEY, WGT.
1. Personal Legend, Bobby Frankel, Jerry Bailey, 115
2. Capeside Lady, Todd Pletcher, Chris DeCarlo, 117
3. Misty Sixes, Steve Klesaris, Norberto Arroyo Jr., 116
4. Fast Cookie, Bill Mott, Cornelio Velasquez, 114
5. Pocus Hocus, Jimmy Jerkens, Jose Santos, 116
6. Nevermore, H. James Bond, Pablo Fragoso, 115
7. Roar Emotion, Kiaran McLaughlin, John Velazquez, 117
8. Fortunate Damsel, Heriberto Cedano, Javier Castellano, 112
9. Cloak of Vagueness, Phil Hauswald, Edgar Prado, 112