by Tim Nichols

In last year’s Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct, 9-to-5 favorite Altesse was eased by John Velazquez because of a broken rein. On Sunday, the five-year-old mare would not be denied in this year’s edition of the 1 1/8-mile race at Belmont Park.

Altesse battled back after she was headed in the stretch by Spring Waltz and surged past that foe in the final strides following a thrilling head-to-head duel. Altesse won by a neck for her first graded stakes victory, finishing the $107,600 race in 1:50.02 on a track rated as fast.

“We thought we had her set up for this race last year at Aqueduct, when the rein broke,” winning trainer Shug McGaughey said. “She had won two or three of those overnight stakes, but we wanted to win a graded stakes with her.”

Altesse set the pace under Velazquez through fractions of :25.38, :49.41, and 1:13.72 through six furlongs while being pressured by So Glitzy.

Spring Waltz, the 0.85-to-1 favorite, stalked in fourth before engaging and briefly overtaking Altesse in early stretch as the two horses drew away from the field.

With Spring Waltz to Altesse’s outside, the duo dueled for the lead in the lane before Velazquez was able to coax just enough out of his mount to score the win.

“She is so very game,” Velazquez said of Altesse. “She tries hard all the time, no matter what, and you saw that today.”

Runner-up Spring Waltz finished 7 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place finisher So Glitzy.

Owned and bred by Helen Alexander, Helen Groves, and Dorothy Matz, Altesse improved to seven wins in 22 career starts with $407,732 in purse earnings.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Tim Nichols is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY assistant editor