A field of 10 go to the post in Thursday’s $200,000 Wonder Again (G3) at Belmont Park.(photo credit: © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)
Trainer Chad Brown sends out a trio of runners in Thursday’s $200,000 Wonder Again (G3) at Belmont Park which drew a field of 10 three-year-old fillies that will go 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf course.
Brown saddled last year’s Wonder Again winner in New Money Honey and won the race in 2015 with Lady Eli. He sends out the morning line favorite Significant Form (8-5), Altea (8-1) and Mighty Scarlet (8-1).
The Wonder Again is one of three stakes on the nine race card, the first day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival which features 18 stakes races over the next three days including the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) on Saturday.
Significant Form is coming off a gate to wire score in the Memories of Silver at Aqueduct, which was her first start since running fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) last fall at Del Mar. She won her first two starts last year including the Ms Grillo (G3) over the Belmont Park turf.
Her stablemate Altea may end up offering more betting value for the top spot. She rallied to finish fifth in the Edgewood (G3) at Churchill Downs in her last outing, beaten 1 ¾ lengths and will appreciate the extra ground.
“Her first start was real good and last time, there was some give in the ground and it wasn’t a real clear run and a little disappointing as well,” Brown said. “I think she has the potential to be quite a nice filly, I just need to get her going forward.”
Brown’s third runner Mighty Scarlet broke her maiden at Keeneland in her last start, her second career outing. She is the first foal to race out of the stakes winner Thundering Emilia.
The co-features on Thursday’s card are the $200,000 Intercontinental (G3) and the $150,000 Astoria.
Let’s head out to Belmont Park for Thursday’s featured race of the day:
Belmont Park Race 8 The Wonder Again G3 (Post time 5:48 ET)
#1 Altea 8-1
#5 Significant Form 8-5
#9 La Signare 6-1
#8 Daddy Is a Legend 7-2
Analysis: Altea is one of three in here sent out by the Chad Brown barn. The filly was off last and came with a good five wide rally to finish fifth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths for the top spot in a good effort. Two back in her U.S. debut at Tampa Bay Downs in the Florida Oaks she came from far out of it to just miss by a head and a nose in a third-place finish. She makes her third start of her current form cycle and gets a stretch out to nine furlongs which should suit her. She also should get a bit more pace to run at then she did in her first two trips state side. Castellano takes over from Ortiz who sticks with the Brown’s recent maiden winner Mighty Scarlett.
Significant Form is also sent out by Brown and this gal took the field gate to wire to win the Memories of Silver last out at the Big A in her first start off a 5 1/2-month layoff. She showed a ton of talent last year winning the Ms Grillo (G3) in her first start against winners and then was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) behind her stablemate Rushing Fall, who came back to win the Appalachian (G2) at Keeneland and miss in the Edgewood (G3) at Churchill Downs by a neck in her last start. The $575,000 Ocala purchase showed last year she does not need the lead and out of a Harlan’s Holiday mare that also has dropped stakes winner Hay Dakota ($237,4450 who should not have an issue with the added distance.
La Signare ran second against Alw-1 foes in her U.S. debut of the Lynch barn. The filly had to steady in traffic on the first turn and came with a good late run to finish just a half-length short of getting to the winner Toinette. The winner came back to win the Edgewood (G3) in her next start while the fourth-place finisher Punked came back to beat Alw-1 foes here in her next outing on May 13. This gal makes just her fourth career start and is going to get overlooked in the betting.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 1,5 / 1,5,8,9
TRI: 1,5 / 1,5,8,9 / 1,2,5,8,9
Belmont Stakes Racing Festival $29.95
Get Michael’s full card reports for the three days of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from Thursday to Saturday June 7-9!
18 stakes and over $10 million in purses including the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes with Justify seeking to win the Triple Crown! Three days of betting action for one low price!
