The ultra-consistent Texas-bred Con Lima added Thursday's Grade 3 Wonder Again Stakes to her resume with a perfect ride from jockey Flavien Prat over Belmont Park's turf course. The 3-year-old daughter of Commissioner saved ground early behind a slow pace, then had plenty left in the stretch to post an 8-1 upset over the fast-finishing Plum Ali, winning by a half-length at the wire. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Con Lima ran nine furlongs over the turf course rated “good” in 1:50.84.
Con Lima is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nicklaus, and Troy Johnson.
“She didn't seem to mind the turf,” Pletcher said. “It's encouraging to see that she might stay a mile and a quarter. We knew Jouster was the quicker of the two, so I told Flavien to just stalk her and it worked out well. She kicked on. She's shown she can do it both ways now.”
Con Lima's stablemate Jouster was quickest out of the starting gate and established a two-length lead heading into the clubhouse turn, while Con Lima was able to secure second with a perfect spot along the rail. Jouster, the 3-1 co-favorite, set a slow pace of :25.42 and :51.49, but was unable to hold off the rally of Con Lima when Prat switched her out in the stretch.
Prat timed his rally perfectly with Con Lima, striking the lead at the eighth pole and holding off the late runs of Plum Ali and Gift List by about a half-length on the wire. Jouster held on to finish fourth, while Fluffy Socks was fifth.
“We had a good trip,” Prat said. “She broke well. It took me a little time to get her to relax, but she finally did down the backside. She responded really well when I asked her to come home.”
Bred in Texas by Lisa Kuhlmann, Con Lima is out of the stakes-winning Consolidator mare Second Street City. She sold for $15,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November sale, and didn't achieve her reserve in two subsequent sales appearances. Con Lima was second on debut and won at second asking, both for trainer Carlos David. Eclipse bought in after that and the filly was transferred to Pletcher's barn, where she proceeded to earn back-to-back stakes placings on the dirt.
Switched to the dirt in 2021, Con Lima won the Ginger Brew Stakes, ran second in the G3 Sweetest Chant, and won the G3 Herecomesthebride. After a fourth in the G3 Gulfstream Oaks, she came back to win the Honey Ryder Stakes in early May. Overall, Con Lima has a record of six wins and four seconds from 11 starts, with earnings of over $380,000.
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