Alms targets Belmont's Wonder Again off first career defeat

Godolphin homebred Alms, a sophomore daughter of City Zip, was undefeated in her first four starts including scores in the Matron (G3) in October at Belmont and the Jimmy Durante (G3) in November at Del Mar.

Last out, making her fifth career start in the one-mile Tepin on May 23 at Churchill Downs, Alms endured a difficult trip when fifth off a three-month layoff from a score in the Shantel Lanerie Memorial in February at Fair Grounds.

"I was a little disappointed,” Stidham said. “She broke from the way outside and was tucked in and that's not really her best positioning.

“I think she's more of a free-running filly and it's better when she can sit in a cleaner spot. She doesn't have to be on the lead, but just in a stalking spot right there. She was checked a bit on the turn, but it was a bit of a trip issue and she'd been off quite a while, so we'll assume she needed the race back and we'll move forward off of that."

Stidham said the $150,000 Wonder Again (G3), a one-mile turf event for sophomore fillies set for Belmont Stakes Day on June 20 is the next likely target for Alms.

Pin Oak Stable's Synchrony, a 7-year-old Tapit horse with multiple graded-stakes winning credentials, is likely to make his next start in the $150,000 Fort Marcy (G2) on Saturday at Belmont.

"He's training really well at Fair Hill," said Stidham. "It's coming up a pretty tough race, but we'll enter and take a look."

Newtown Anner Stud Farm and Mark Breen's Saguaro Row, a five-time winning daughter of Union Rags with scores in the Pumpkin Pie in November and the Interborough in January at the Aqueduct, is enjoying some downtime at the farm.

"She had a good campaign and it was good timing for a freshening for her," Stidham said. "She seems to be a better fall and winter filly, so we wanted to freshen her now and have her ready for next fall. She's a pretty cool filly."