Wonder Again S. (G2) — Race 3 (4:09 p.m. ET)
Consumer Spending, who has two stakes wins from three attempts in her career thus far, will seek her first of the graded variety on Thursday when she heads the field for the $200,000 Wonder Again S. (G2) at Belmont Park. Contested at 1 1/8 mile on the turf, the Wonder Again serves as a prep for next month’s Belmont Oaks (G1).
Trained by Chad Brown, Consumer Spending notched the Selima S. at Laurel last October and the Memories of Silver S. at Aqueduct in her season debut April 24. In between, the gray daughter of More Than Ready finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), though she was beaten less than two lengths against a field that, in retrospect, was incredibly deep and accomplished.
The only other previous stakes winner in the Wonder Again lineup is Vergara, who landed the Tepin S. at Aqueduct in November. After failing to show much over Tapeta at Turfway Park in her seasonal bow, Vergara was third to Breeders’ Cup winner Pizza Bianca in the Hilltop S. at Pimlico last out.
“I think that effort points to her wanting more distance. Most of the other races for her are a mile and I think she really wants to go further,” trainer Graham Motion said. “This race will be a good test for her to see if she has the quality to go to the Belmont Oaks.”
Four others are entered for the turf. Skims finished third in the Appalachian (G3) at Keeneland in her stakes debut two months ago. Myriskyaffair, a Verrazano half-sister to Pilgrim (G3) winner Forty Under, broke her maiden by 14 lengths in an off-the-turf event earlier in the meet.
Two historic juvenile features, the $150,000 Tremont S. and the $150,000 Astoria S. for fillies, are both on Thursday’s program and will be run over 5 1/2 furlongs.
The Wesley Ward-trained No Nay Hudson is the likely favorite in the Tremont off of four-length debut victory at Keeneland in late April. Devious Dame, who won on debut by 5 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs on May 5 for Norm Casse, is among a field of six in the Astoria.
