Friday, November 04, 2011

ARENA ELVIRA TAKES TURNBACK THE ALARM IN BIG A OPENER

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Arena Elvira notched her third straight victory and first in a graded stakes Friday afternoon, pulling away to a 6 ¾-length triumph in the Grade 3, $100,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap, the opening-day feature at Aqueduct Racetrack.

With Junior Alvarado in the irons, the 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper tracked Banker’s Buy through an opening quarter-mile in 25.17 seconds and a half in 50.71, then moved alongside the pacesetter on the far turn. Straightening for home, Arena Elvira began opening up through the stretch under a hand ride and hit the wire in 1:51.59 for the 1 1/8 miles.


“My filly didn’t break and I got stuck behind the horse in front [Banker’s Buy], but the rest was easy,” said Alvarado. “I asked her, and she responded right away. In the end, I was just keeping her straight. I wasn’t asking for much.”

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Arena Elvira returned $4.30 for a $2 win bet as the even-money second choice in the field of five. She earned $60,000 to increase her bankroll $314,930 for owner Carolyn Wilson and extended her record to 6-3-2 from 11 starts, including back-to-back victories in the Madame Jumel and Sightseek stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

“Junior rode her perfectly,” said Mott’s assistant, Leana Willaford. “The one horse we thought might show a little speed did. [Arena Elvira] was in a perfect stalking position and everything went smooth. Nice job on Junior’s part.”

Check Point held on for second, with Go Unbridled closing to edge 4-5 favorite Tiz Miz Sue for show. Banker’s Buy completed the order of finish.