American Pharoah Filly Scores Sweet Win in Wonder Again

SWEET MELANIA (f, 3, American Pharoah–Sweet N Discreet, by Discreet Cat) delivered the performance everyone expected, dominating the GIII Wonder Again S. from start to finish. Seizing the early advantage, the 6-5 chalk put up a half-mile in :47.62 with Antoinette (Hard Spun) in tow. Showing the way into the lane, the chestnut bursted clear in the lane to win as she pleased over Highland Glory (Sky Mesa). Just missing in Saratoga’s P.G. Johnson S. this summer, Sweet Melania romped in Keeneland’s GII Jessamine S. Oct. 9 and was third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 1. Lifetime Record: 7-3-1-3.

O-Robert & Lawana Low; B-St. Elias Stable LLC (KY); T-Todd Pletcher.

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Triple Crown News Minute Presented By Kentucky Equine Research: Mining The Belmont Stakes Undercard

Saturday's 152nd Belmont Stakes highlights a 12-race card at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., which has an 11:45 a.m. ET first post. The Belmont itself, now the opening leg of the Triple Crown and run at nine furlongs instead of its traditional mile and one-half, goes as the 10th race, with a scheduled post time of 5:42 p.m. ET, and will offer qualifying points for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby on the basis of 150-60-30-15 to the first four finishers.

The Belmont can be seen on NBC, which will also be airing the final day of the Royal Ascot meeting on Saturday morning beginning at 9 a.m. ET

Prior to the NBC telecast, many of the Belmont undercard races can be seen on “America's Day at the Races” on the FOX Sports networks.

In today's Triple Crown News Minute, Ray Paulick and news editor Chelsea Hackbarth look at some of the horses competing in the five other graded stakes on the Belmont card, including the 9-year-old gelding Pure Sensation, making his fourth appearance in the now-Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes, a race he won in course record time in 2016.

Watch today's Triple Crown News Minute below:

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Short, But Sweet Field Set for Wonder Again

A competitive field of five is set to line up Saturday for Belmont’s GIII Wonder Again S. Speaktomeofsummer (Summer Front) enters off a pair of wins and receives Lasix for the first time here. Off the board in and off-the-turf event at Monmouth in her Sept. 7 career bow, the dark bay graduated on the lawn at the Oceanport oval three weeks later. She closed out her juvenile season with a victory in Aqueduct’s Chelsey Flower S. Nov. 3 and has been working steadily towards this sophomore bow.

Robert and Lawana Low’s Sweet Melania (American Pharoah) also makes her seasonal debut here. Just missing in the P.G. Johnson S. at Saratoga last term, she made amends with a dominant score in Keeneland’s GII Jessamine S. Oct. 9 and was third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 1.

“I gave her a little time off and this seemed like a good launching spot,” Pletcher told the NYRA media department. “She’s done well. She’s grown and filled out a little bit. She’s an easy filly to train and it seems like she’s maintained her form from last fall.”

The lightly raced Selflessly (More Than Ready) kicks off her sophomore campaign here. Graduating at second asking in Belmont’s GII Miss Grillo S. Sept. 29, she was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup.

Unlike her aforementioned foes, Antoinette (Hard Spun) has made two starts this season, albeit on dirt, finishing third in both the Mar. 21 GII Fair Grounds Oaks and May 1 Gardenia S. at Oaklawn. The Godolphine homebred closed 2019 with a win in an off-the-turf renewal of Aqueduct’s Tepin S. Dec. 5, but prior to that broke her maiden on the grass in Elmont Oct. 24.

Rounding out the quintet is Highland Glory (Sky Mesa), who hails from the same barn as GI Belmont S. favorite Tiz the Law (Constitution). Earning her diploma at third asking in her first try on turf at Gulfstream Jan. 19, she captured that venue’s Sanibel Island S. next out Mar. 28 and was second last time in the Honey Ryder S. there May 2.

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