Andrew Rosen's Skims will look to make the grade in Thursday's $200,000 Wonder Again (G2), a nine-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies on opening day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
The three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival kicks off with three stakes races, including the Wonder Again, which offers the top-three finishers an automatic invite to the 10-furlong $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) on July 9, the opening leg of the Caesars Turf Triple series for fillies. Rounding out the card are a pair of $150,000 sprints for 2-year-olds at 5 1/2-furlongs on the main track led by the Astoria Stakes for fillies and the Tremont Stakes.
Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Skims graduated at second asking over the Aqueduct turf in November and followed up in February with a head score in an optional-claiming tilt at Tampa Bay Downs in her seasonal debut.
The British homebred daughter of Frankel, out of the Street Cry mare Royal Decree, overcame a troubled start last out in the Appalachian (G2) in April at Keeneland to finish third.
The bay filly, with returning rider Flavien Prat up, was bumped at the break and again into the first turn before rallying from seventh position to complete the trifecta less than three lengths in arrears of the undefeated multiple graded stakes-winner Spendarella.
McGaughey said he was pleased with the Appalachian effort, which garnered a co-field high 85 Beyer Speed Figure.
“It wasn't the cleanest of trips, but I thought she ran a good race,” McGaughey said. “The winner was in front the whole way, so whether we'd have caught her or not, I don't know. She's trained really well since and we're looking forward to running her.”
Skims will exit the outermost post 7.
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown has won three of the eight editions of the Wonder Again and will send out Consumer Spending as he looks to add to a list of winners that includes Lady Eli [2015], New Money Honey [2017], and Cambier Parc [2019].
Klaravich Stables' Consumer Spending, by More Than Ready, captured the Selima in October at Laurel Park ahead of a close sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) in November at Del Mar where she was defeated less than two lengths by the victorious Pizza Bianca.
Consumer Spending launched her current campaign in the 1 1/16-mile Memories of Silver on April 24 at the Big A, rallying to post a three-quarter length score over Pizza Bianca, who exited that effort to win the Hilltop at Pimlico Race Course. Consumer Spending earned an 85 Beyer in her seasonal debut.
The $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase purchase will emerge from post 3 under Manny Franco.
Gary Broad's Vergara, winner of the Tepin in November over the Big A turf, will stretch back out in distance for trainer Graham Motion.
The Noble Mission bay graduated at second asking in October traveling nine furlongs over the Laurel Park turf ahead of her three-quarter length score in the 1 1/16-mile Tepin.
She made her seasonal debut with an off-the-board effort in the Bourbonette Oaks in April over the Turfway Park synthetic, but rebounded with a game effort in the one-mile Hilltop on May 20 at Pimlico to finish third, defeated 1 3/4-lengths by the victorious Pizza Bianca.
Motion said he was pleased with the effort by Vergara in the Hilltop.
“At the top of the stretch I was slightly concerned, but she really grinded it out. It's not often you run in the Hilltop and have to face the Breeders' Cup winner,” Motion said. “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. This race will be a good test for her to see if she has the quality to go to the Belmont Oaks.”
Motion said he has drawn a line through the Turfway experience which came from the difficult outermost post 12, taking solace in her strong effort in the Hilltop.
“She's come out of the Hilltop well and I'm very happy with her since. If there was a time to come back in three weeks, I think this is the time to do it,” Motion said. “I gave her plenty of time to get over the Turfway debacle and this will help us decide what to do the rest of the summer.”
Luis Saez retains the mount from post 6.
Trainer Christophe Clement will send out Wonder Stables, Madaket Stables and Golconda Stable's Shad Nation and Cedar Hill's Myriskyaffair in search of his second Wonder Again score after taking the inaugural running in 2014 with Sea Queen.
Myriskyaffair, by Verrazano, is out of the stakes-winning Black Tie Affair mare Argent Affair, who also produced graded-stakes winner Forty Under [by Uncle Mo.]
The gray utilized a rallying style in her first three career starts, including an eighth-to-second rush when defeated a half-length traveling 1 3/16-miles over good Keeneland turf in April. She graduated last out at fourth asking, drawing away to a 14-length score over a sloppy and sealed main track on May 19 at Belmont in a nine-furlong off-the-turf maiden special weight.
Shad Nation, by Cairo Prince, graduated at first asking in October at Belmont, besting next-out winners Gun Boat and Spicer. She followed with off-the-board efforts in the Chelsey Flower in November at Belmont and the Sanibel Island in April in her seasonal debut at Gulfstream Park.
Shad Nation enters from an even third-place finish in a first-level allowance tilt on April 28 over firm Keeneland turf.
Myriskyaffair will exit post 2 under Joel Rosario, while Shad Nation will emerge from the inside post under Irad Ortiz, Jr. Clement has entered Tap the Faith for the main-track only.
Rounding out the field is maiden winner Sweet Sensation [post 4, Trevor McCarthy] for trainer Tom Albertrani.
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