Daring Dancer Set to Contest Wonder Again

A sensational winner of the Grade 3 Appalachian at Keeneland, Daring Dancer is set to contest the $200,000 Wonder Again for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday at Belmont Park.

Trained by Graham Motion for Sagamore Farm, Daring Dancer is undefeated through her first three starts, including a 2 ½-length win in the Appalachian on April 17. The bay daughter of Empire Maker was bottled up in the stretch that day, but found running room late and surged to victory under jockey Alan Garcia, who will be aboard her again on Sunday.

Daring Dancer will break from post position 4 as the 9-5 morning line favorite.

The 7-2 morning line second choice, Recepta is also exiting the Grade 3 Appalachian for trainer Jimmy Toner. The Speightstown filly was a dominant winner of the Chelsea Flower on October 27 at Belmont Park in what was her first start on turf, and finished 4 ¼ lengths behind Daring Dancer in the Appalachian in her first start of 2014. She will be ridden by Junior Alvarado and the pair will break from the rail.

Party Now will go out for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. The daughter of Tiznow won an allowance at Keeneland impressively on April 6, a race that produced next-out stakes winner A Little Bit Sassy. The bay filly, who sits at 4-1 on the morning line, will be ridden by another Hall of Famer in John Velazquez and break from post position 7.

Rounding out the field are Minorette, most recently third behind Party Now in the Keeneland allowance race; Sea Queen, who captured a first-level allowance race in her last start; Lawn Party, who broke her maiden by 3 ¼ lengths on March 15 at Gulfstream Park; and Courtesan, who has two wins from five starts for trainer Christophe Clement.