No Clear Leader in Wonder Again

A group of six accomplished 3-year-old fillies are set to square off in Thursday's GIII Wonder Again S.–a prep for next month's GI Belmont Oaks–but a major question remains: Who will set the early pace? Not one runner in the field has a “1” in their past performances early in a race, and on a circuit at which many handicappers lament a sometimes too-timid jockey colony, it seems whoever makes the first move could find themselves in control.

Perhaps the rail-drawn Coasted (Tizway) will show the way early. She did sit second en route to a dominant, 'TDN Rising Star'-garnering maiden breaker over Dream Dancing (Tapit) at Saratoga last August. Plus the Leah Gyarmati trainee will be reunited with Jose Lezcano, who was aboard for her maiden breaker, P. G. Johnnson S. win and third in the GIII Miss Grillo S. behind New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro). But Coasted came from dead last when second at 23-1 to New Money Honey in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and wasn't up close either when beaten a neck by Dream Dancing in Gulfstream's GIII Herecomesthebride S. May 4. The bay was a puzzling 10th without ever showing much run in the GIII Appalachian S. at Keeneland Apr. 13.

“She shipped down to Florida for the winter and then went to Kentucky, so it might have taken a toll on her, so I was waiting to see how she'd come around for this,” Gyarmati told the NYRA press department. “But I think she's doing well. It'll depend on the pace, but hopefully we'll be in the mix and in midpack or closer to the front. We'll just have to see how it plays out.”

New Money Honey, one of three for Chad Brown, shows several swift recent works and tends to do her best running from midpack. She settled for sixth in the very competitive Appalachian in her first start since her Breeders' Cup victory. The Eclipse Award-winning conditioner will also saddle Fifty Five (Get Stormy), who was purchased privately by Peter Brant and transferred from Tom Bush after she defeated subsequent Appalachian heroine La Coronel (Colonel John) with a last-to-first move in Tampa's GIII Florida Oaks Mar. 11. The bay was most recently third in the Memories of Silver S. at the Big A Apr. 23. Brown's third representative is Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebred Enchanting Kitten (Kitten's Joy), a debut winner at Gulfstream Jan. 11 who checked in second behind Grade I winner Victory to Victory (Exchange Rate) at Keeneland Apr. 23.

Dream Dancing was fourth in the Appalachian, and second behind her stablemate La Coronel again in the GIII Edgewood at Keeneland May 5. The grey is conditioned by Mark Casse, who will also saddle first-time turfer and last-out GII Black-Eyed Susan S. third Corporate Queen (Colonel John).